Ink On Your Back
by Meneme-chan
Summary: Isabella Swan was a Shadowhunter, born and raised. But when she is banished to live with her mundane father, how will she react when she finds vampires in Forks? A remake of Shadows at Midnight, set at the beginning of Twilight.
1. Ms Swan Goes to Washington

'Ink on your back' is a slight remake of 'Shadows at Midnight.' It brings back Bella, but puts the twist of her having been a Shadowhunter her entire life. How will she react to Edward, when she can figure out what he is so quickly? Please enjoy. I own nothing; Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyers and the Mortal Instruments belong to Cassandra Clare.

. . . .

The Arizona sun blistered across my skin, pleasantly warming me to my very bones. I tried to take it all in again; the glare of the sun, the sharp blue of the sky, my mother's watery eyes as she clasped me to her in a hug. ''I'm going to miss you, Isabella. I wish you didn't have to leave,'' she said with a muffled sob.

''The Law is hard, but it is the Law,'' I said, ignoring the prickle of tears forming in my eyes. My sentence seemed to act as a whip to my mother. She straightened her back and smoothed down my shirt where it had been mussed.

''Indeed,'' she said, her mouth a hard line.

Behind her, Phil stood impassive as he nodded at my words. '' I taught you well,'' he said calmly. He stepped forward and gathered my mother and I into a firm hug. ''You will be missed, Isabella,'' he whispered into my hair. ''No matter what the Clave says, you will always be our daughter and you will always have a home with us.''

I nodded and buried my face into his shoulder. I breathed in the scent of the man I had always known as my father: the musk of aftershave and leather mixed with the sharp scent of metal.

My watch chirped at me, reminding me that I had only a half hour to make my flight to Washington. We stepped apart, my mother drying her eyes as Phil handed me the handle to my suitcase. ''Carry yourself well in Washington,'' my mother told me, smoothing my hair down. ''You represent more than just Arizona.''

''I know,'' I said, shifting my weight to head towards the terminal. We walked inside, checking my bags in complete silence. The glamour on my bag hid my stash of weapons I had stubbornly decided to being with me, the Clave be damned. I waved goodbye to my mother and Phil as I passed through security like a breeze, glamours hiding all 'objectional' items. I reached my gate as the crew began to load and I waited near the desk to hand them my first class ticket. I may be banished from the Nephilim world, but the Clave would never refuse a traveling Shadowhunter luxury for their services.

I settled into my seat, nodding to my fat, elderly neighbor as he sneered at my outfit. I suppose my shorts and shirt from Goodwill did not compare to his tailored suit. I shrugged and pulled out my copy of Crime and Punishment that was written in Russian. He gave me a startled glance, but I ignored him and immersed myself in the psychotic mind of Raskolnikov. The flight was long, but immersing myself in the novel helped. By the time I reached my destination, my mind was buzzing in Russian. I looked around for my birth father, Charlie Swan as I exited the gates and entered the waiting area. Many people milled around, but I slowly and carefully examined each face. I finally spotted a man with curly dark hair holding a small piece of paper that read 'Bella.' I had told him that was my preferred name, and it surprised me that he remembered.

I made my way over to him, dragging my suitcase and duffle bag. He watched my approach with a neutral expression until he realized that I was indeed his daughter. He shuffled his paper into his other hand and held out his hand in a tentative offer of a handshake. ''Bella?'' he asked nervously, watching my face carefully with brown eyes so like my own.

''That's me,'' I said quietly, shaking his hand. ''I assume you are my father, Charlie?''

''That's me,'' he repeated, his faint smile hidden beneath his moustache. There was a small, awkward pause as we waited for the other one to speak. Finally, Charlie asked, ''Shall we go, then?''

We headed down to the luggage claim in silence, where I caught my two giant suitcases with ease. I let Charlie pick up the second one; both because I didn't want to offend him and it was the lighter of the two. With my duffel bag over my shoulder and a suitcase in tow, I followed Charlie out to his police cruiser. Police Chief Swan, as my mother had informed me. I vaguely wondered if I would get to witness a high speed chase on the way home, or maybe even a robbery. From what I had heard of Forks, though, it would end up being an elderly woman who forgot to pay for her cat food due to her Alzheimer's. We loaded my luggage and I seated myself next to Charlie, buckling myself in with a wry smile. It would probably be unwise to display a lack of care for traffic safety in the same car as a policeman.

Charlie pulled away from the airport, and I took in the surroundings of Washington. The trees stretched high over my head, while bushes and flowers populated the rich grasses and loam. I glimpsed a mansion as we drove; the immaculate lawns and fountains reminding me of my few, brief trips to Idris. A painful lump emerged in my throat, so I turned to focus on the black asphalt stretching ahead of us.

Luckily, Charlie chose this moment to strike up a conversation. "I got this great deal on a car for you," he said, still staring at the road. Trust a cop to never be distracted.

"You didn't have to," I said quietly, taken aback. "I could save up to buy a car. I've all ready got a lot in my savings."

"I got it from a friend," Charlie confessed. "Billy Black. He has a son a few years younger than you."

"Did you get the car from him?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's his old truck."

"How much did it cost?" I asked. You could usually tell the year of a car by the price of it.

"It was a really good price," Charlie said, shifting uncomfortably. Meaning that it was free. That truck must be ancient. I dropped the subject after that, allowing the car ride to sink back into comfortable silence.

When Charlie pulled the car into the driveway, I found myself staring up at a two story white house. It looked very simple from the outside, and I was willing to bet the inside was the same. As I exited the car, I was startled to see the truck. How I had managed to overlook it, I had no idea. It was a behemoth; with rusting metal sides and a swollen cab. It had to be at least forty years old. I found my lips curling into a smile as I viewed the decrepit old truck, well-used and well-loved.

Charlie was watching my reaction carefully, surreptitiously. I gave him a small smile and said, "I love it." His mustache twitched as he returned the smile. Then he busied himself with getting my luggage out of the back of his car. He struggled with the first one while I easily lifted the second suitcase out of the trunk before helping him. Even without the Runes, I was strong from years of training and fighting.

"You're pretty strong," he commented, slightly winded.

"Renée had me on a good workout," I said, not meeting his eyes. I didn't know how much Charlie knew about Nephilim and I didn't want to enlighten him, especially since I was not permitted to be in their world.

"I'll bet she did," he muttered, half to himself and I knew that he probably knew enough for us to ignore it together.

We pulled my two suitcases into the house and I found myself in a small entryway with a few pictures decorating the walls. I stepped closer to a picture and found myself looking at an old picture of my mother when she was with Charlie. His smile was evident through his mustache, the same then as it is now. The only difference was that his curls were darker and thicker. Her brown hair tumbled down her back and emphasized her swollen belly. She had been pregnant with me in this photo. A lump gathered in my throat and I turned away. Charlie stood by the staircase, hand on my suitcase handle.

"To your room, then?" he asked, his voice gruff and his eyes on the suitcase.

"Yes, please," I said, picking up my suitcase. I was genuinely curious to see my room. My mother had given him details on my room, and I had no idea what I would see. My old room had been decorated with books on Shadowhunting, bibles and sketches of Runes.

My room turned out to be fairly small, but cozy. The walls were painted a soft color, like one that might be found in a nursery. A twin sized mattress was in the center of the room, allowing a few feet of space between the foot of the bed and the desk. There were two empty bookshelves on either side of the dresser, and I was immediately grateful for them. A computer sat on the desk, a reliable old model that had been at the city library back at my mother's. The room had a gentle feel to it, with soft light and pastel colorings. I had a feeling that this was the old nursery, before my mother ran away with me.

I set the suitcases next to my bed and took the duffel bag off my shoulder. Charlie was respectfully quiet as he waited for my judgement. "I like it," I said finally. I did, in truth. The room had a relaxed, almost sleepy air to it. The single window portrayed a beautiful view of the forest, one that didn't remind me too forcibly of Idris.

"I'll go start up dinner," Charlie offered. "Does fish sound all right to you?"

I could care less about what I ate. "Fish sounds just fine," I told him. He shuffled away, and I set about unpacking. I set the clothes out on the bed until each suitcase was empty. I sorted them on the bed before I carried them over to the dresser, the wood boards creaking softly under my feet. One particular section squeaked more violently that the others and I took note of that.

When my clothes were unpacked and my toiletries were in the small bathroom, I set about finding a spot for my gear. I wasn't supposed to have them, but I couldn't bear not having any. Better safe than sorry. I hadn't brought a large stash, but it certainly wasn't small. After quietly but firmly pulling up a board and checking the space underneath, I decided it was a worthy hiding spot. Closing the door, just in case, I opened my small black bag and laid all of the weapons on the rug. Two Seraph Blades, electrum whips, throwing knives, a number steles, holy water and iron. From my suitcase, under a glamour, I pulled out a small bow and quiver of arrows. I repacked the weapons in the bag and pushed it far under the boards, close enough for me to catch the strings and pull it out. The bow and quiver went next, on the other side of the hole and just within reach. Satisfied, I replaced the board and tugged the rug back over it.

Charlie called me down for dinner and I left the room, my hand lingering over the light switch to my new home.

_**...**_

The roar of my truck attracted the stares of all of the students as I pulled into the parking lot. Forks High was a small school; small enough for the whole student body to know who I was and for me to know I was the only new kid. I tried to ignore their stares as I walked into the main office. I was given my schedule by a friendly secretary named Mrs. Cope and then released to the hordes. I disentangled myself from all attempts of conversation and simply made my way to my first class.

I arrived nearly ten minutes early to Calculus. Only a handful of students were in the classroom at the time and they all looked surprised to see me. They mumbled to each other, watching me nervously for any sudden movements. I ignored this and approached the teacher, holding out the slip that the secretary had given me. He smiled and dismissed me to my seat. No need to announce the new kid; we all knew who that was.

After a few minutes, I was approached by a girl. Her dark hair fell around her shoulders and her eyes were soft and gentle. Her mouth curved into a shy smile as she said quietly, "Hi, I'm Angela."

"Bella," I said, smiling slightly at her.

"Welcome to Forks," she said, and she sounded like she meant it. "If you need anything, just find me. I'm always willing to help out."

I smiled wider, taking an immediate liking to this girl. "Thanks Angela," I said sincerely. "Would you like to sit next to me?"

She took her seat next to me, and we spent the remaining time before class chatting. Angela was very honest and had a tender heart. She was quick to be compassionate and slow to anger. She invited me to sit with her at lunch and I agreed. The bell rang, cutting our conversation off. The teacher brought our attention to the board, where he was demonstrating sine waves. The lesson passed by quickly, where the teacher, Mr. Varner was surprised at how apt I was at Math. I could only inwardly thank God for the fact that my mother insisted on tutoring me in mundane schooling as well.

Angela and I walked to our next lesson of History, where we were joined by three other students she knew. She introduced me to the two boys, Mike and Tyler and the girl, Jessica. Mike and Tyler mugged me for attention, their eyes bright and childish with teenage fantasies; while Jessica attempted to charm her way into being my friend.

I missed only having class with Angela all ready.

Throughout History, Mike would turn and throw me a practiced, charming smile my way. His blonde hair was spiked and gelled, reminding me vaguely of a curly haired blonde I knew from New York. Tyler constantly undermined Mike's attempts of flirting and Mike returned the favor. Jessica watched Mike beadily, jealousy plain in her eyes as the attention stayed away from her. I felt bad for the teacher, trying her hardest to get our small group to pay attention.

It was with unutterable relief that I headed to Biology, escaping the clutches of Tyler and Jessica. Unfortunately I was separated from Angela, and Mike took her place in leading me to class. I walked into class with Mike at my side, and my skin prickled in warning. I stayed my hand from drifting to where my Seraph Blade should be; instead I went to the teacher's desk and handed him the customary slip of paper. The teacher, Mr. Banner, assigned me a seat near the window, next to a boy named Edward.

The first thing I noticed about the boy was that he wasn't human. My Shadowhunter instincts were flaring inside of me, screaming alarm bells. I forced myself to ignore them and to walk to the desk. My eyes observed him as I did, taking in every minute detail. His skin was pale, almost white. There were dark circles under his eyes, hinting of a lack of sleep. His hair was a stylish mess of copper, and his clothes were immaculately fashionable. His eyes were what struck me the most. They were pitch black and blazing with a mixture of fury and disgust.

I understood what he was by the time I was seated next to him. He was a vampire, but not of the well-known variety. Unknown to mundanes, there were two types of vampires. There were the types akin to Dracula; with pale skin, fangs and an aversion to sunlight and holy water. Then there were the hybrid vampires. Long ago a vampire and an angel had joined in an unholy union, and their kind was created. I hadn't met any of them, but I knew they were different. They drank blood, but lacked any visible fangs. They could withstand sunlight, but I had heard that there were some strange side effects.

I only had three questions. First; were there more of his kind here, in Forks? Second; why was he in Forks in the first place? And the most important question; was he dangerous?

It didn't help that he was glaring at me like I had done something unspeakable. I hadn't drawn any Marks recently, so he shouldn't be able to sense them on me as most Downworlders do. Any scars left by Marks would have been made invisible by the glamours surrounding me. I forced myself to act as if nothing was wrong, as if I didn't know I was sitting next to a vampire. Biology was tense as Edward and I both tried to subtly shift away from each other without attracting attention or flat out moving to other tables.

When the bell rang, Edward took off and was out the door faster than anyone could comprehend. I took my sweet time getting my bag together, delaying both sitting with Mike at lunch and looking into this vampire business. When we arrived at the cafeteria, I did a brief scan of the cafeteria and noticed Edward sitting with a group of four others. Between deterring Mike's attempts at conversations and getting my food, I had noticed their pale skin and the way the other students were sitting clear of them. I took my seat next to Angela and forced myself to listen as they all chattered. Edward was glaring at me still from his seat, his eyes visibly black from across the cafeteria.

"Who are they?" I finally asked Angela, nodding slightly towards Edward's table.

"Who?" Angela turned, her large eyes innocent and curious. Her face brightened with comprehension and she said quietly, "They are the Cullen's; they're all adopted. They moved here not too long ago, actually. Their dad works at the hospital; he's a doctor." Interesting. A vampire as a doctor? "They're really close, but no one really talks to them. See the blonde haired boy, with the curly hair?"

The one who reminds me of Jace, but without the arrogance? "Yeah," I said, peeking casually over my shoulder.

"That's Jasper. The really pretty blonde girl is Rosalie, his twin sister. The girl with the short dark hair is Alice, and the boy with the dark hair is Emmett. You've all ready seen Edward in Biology today," Angela explained. Her voice dropped another pitch as she added even more quietly, "But Jasper and Alice are together, so are Rosalie and Emmett."

"As in, they're dating?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah, but Edward's not dating anyone, I think. He's a bit... withdrawn," Angela said, struggling to find the right words. "He's not a bad guy, he's just not very social."

As I watched the family, I took in the way that their lips barely moved as they talked to each other. They angled themselves away from the other students, as if they were expressly discouraging any advances. Even from this distance, my eyes could pick out their eyes: all varying shades of gold. From what I had studied and heard of their kind, it meant they were 'vegetarian,' or that they refrained from human blood.

"I can't imagine why," I said, my voice barely revealing my dark humor.

My eyes met the eyes of the dark haired girl, Alice, and held for a heartbeat. She regarded me thoughtfully, almost curiously. Then her face split in a broad, white smile that revealed her even, white teeth. I wasn't sure if it was a threat, until she winked one topaz eye at me. The moment passed, and Alice went back to talking to Jasper. I focused on the conversation at our table, which had split into two different ones. The boys were talking about a new movie that was supposedly really intense and chock full of action. Jessica and a blonde girl, Lauren, were talking about a shopping trip that they were planning. Angela was listening to the girls, but her eyes kept straying to a boy across the table. I was pretty sure that his name was Ben, and that he was in our Calculus class. Before I could bring myself to fully immerse myself in the conversation, the bell rang for our next class.

I forced myself not watch the Cullen's as the left the cafeteria in a graceful group. Instead, I dumped my tray with Angela and walked with her to our English class. I was surprised to find that I had Alice in that class. She nodded politely to me, but otherwise ignored me. I didn't mind, so I sat down with Angela and for once willingly surrendered my entire attention to the teacher. Literature was something I adored, and I had high hopes for this class. It started off shakily, when the teacher made the mistake of making me stand in front of the class and tell them my name and my favorite book.

"I'm Bella Swan, and I don't really have a favorite book." The teacher's face fell into a bit of a frown, expecting a literature hater to burst forth in me. Instead, I surprised him by saying, "It's currently between 'Crime and Punishment' and 'Wuthering Heights.'"

"You read Dostoevky?" Mr. Berty asked in astonishment.

I nodded. "I have the copy in original Russian, if you'd like to see it later. The meanings are much clearer in Dostoevsky's mother tongue."

There was silence in the classroom as the students looked at me with a mixture of admiration and repulsion. Lauren blurted from the back of the classroom; "Isn't this supposed to be an English class?"

I bit down a grin. Alice met my eyes and deliberately rolled her eyes, sharing my cynical amusement. I took my seat as Mr. Berty assured Lauren that she would not have to learn Russian to read 'Crime and Punishment.' English passed by quickly enough, seeing as we had to play catch-up while Mr. Berty explained that the class had been reading 'Grendel' by Josh Gardner. I was sent to the library to get a copy while Mr. Berty would go over the last night's assignment. I took my time, knowing that he'd need all the time he could get.

When I arrived, the class was immersing itself in groups to 'discuss' the reading. Mr. Berty took this time to give me the assignments needed to catch up, as well as to lovingly examine my Russian copy of 'Crime and Punishment.' We talked briefly about it before the bell rang. He reluctantly gave me the book back, and I headed to P.E. with Angela.

Having brought my own clothes, I dressed down and waited for Coach Clapp's instructions. I noticed that Emmett and Rosalie were in this class with me. They watched me with cautious curiosity, while I did my best to ignore them. We were separated into teams for volleyball, a game I had never actually played before. Angela explained the game as quickly as she could while she warmed me up and taught me the different ways to hit and serve. I picked it up quickly, thanks to years of training. Lauren was on the opposite team, and her smile was poisonous when she learned that I had never played before.

"Just try to hit it over the net and in the court," Angela whispered to me. "You should be fine."

Lauren's team served first. I watched and waited, observing people's styles. A girl named Kim was talented, so I drank in the way her body arched and tensed as she played. I saw the ball float towards Angela, on my left, and I hissed, "Set it!" to her. She set it for me, and I leaped up and spiked it, like I had seen Kim do earlier. The ball slammed into the floor next to Lauren's ankles, startling her backwards. Angela grinned at me, surprised and proud.

"Are you sure you've never played before?" she asked, smiling a little.

I nodded. "I learn fast," I offered as a way of explanation.

The game went on from there; increasing in aggression and competitiveness. It was heated and evenly matched, but Lauren made a good spike that landed next to a shy girl who was petrified of volleyballs. The whistle blew after that, and the game was over. I grinned at Lauren and Kim and said, "Great game, you guys."

Kim smiled and returned the niceties, but Lauren scowled. Shrugging my shoulders, I followed Angela to the next court. We didn't make it to actually playing Rosalie's team, at which I breathed a tiny sigh of relief. Dismissed, I dressed down quickly. The final bell rang and I waited for Angela, where we chatted as we walked outside. We headed towards the parking lot, where I saw a few expensive looking cars in the parking lot. Alice and Jasper were leaning on the hood of one; somehow this didn't surprise me.

As I walked past, Alice smiled at me. I gave her a small smile back, faintly surprised. Jasper's arms were twined around her, his solemn eyes watching me carefully. "I heard you played well in Gym today," Alice said, startling me completely. Her voice was bright and cheery, matching her petite frame in it's pitch.

"I'm fairly athletic," I said, struck by a bout of self-consciousness. "I was really active back home in Arizona."

Alice's smile widened. "No kidding. Emmett said you were a killer on the court."

_You have no idea. _"Like I said, I'm athletic. My mom is one of the sport-nut moms."

Alice's laugh was lighter than wind chimes. Still smiling, she waved a little to me and said, "See you tomorrow, Bella!" With that, she got into the driver's seat, with Jasper sliding into the passenger side.

Waving, I continued with Angela towards our cars, which were surprisingly close together. "I'm surprised Alice talked to you," Angela said honestly. "Alice is really friendly, she's just not always that forward."

I shrugged. "People are surprising, especially to a new kid." I gave Angela a mischievous smile, adding, "I'm the wild card."

Angela giggled, before saying her farewells. I hopped into my giant, rusty truck and started the engine with a roar. Driving away from the school, I headed home and parked the truck off the side of the road, on the gravel near the yard. Slamming the door shut, I tramped through the yard to my house. Once inside, I settled down and whipped through the homework. Thank God for the rigorous schooling Renée had forced me to sit through. I finished by the time Charlie came home. I offered to make dinner, and he grinned a little sheepishly and surrendered his kitchen to me.

As I cooked, we discussed our day. His had been a cacophony of patrols and misfiled papers. No major crimes, but he preferred those days. In turn, I told him about the people I had met. He stoutly assured me that Mike was a good kid, along with Angela. When I broached the topic of the Cullens, Charlie practically leapt out of his seat.

"Their father, Carlisle, is a godsend. He works miracles with that hospital, he does! I don't know what we'd do without him. His wife Esme is the sweetest woman, too. And they'd have to be absolute angels to adopt five teenagers like that. Most people I know can hardly deal with one." I watched with faint amusement as my father ranted on. "They're good people, the Cullens."

"Alice seems really nice," I said, stirring the pan. "She talked to me today."

Charlie grunted approvingly; nodding to himself before receding to his silence one more, as if he was out of words after his unusual rant. My mind was full as I mulled over that family. I knew they were vampires, but from my observations, they were harmless. And if Charlie trusted them, I felt a little more at ease. Even though he was a mundane and oblivious to their true nature, Charlie was more intuitive than most. He saw more than anyone could without having the Sight.

I was going to have to trust him on this. It's only life and death, after all.

. . .

Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review, and I'll respond to your comments in the next chapter as best I can. ~Meneme-chan


	2. Blood type: NA

The characters of Twilight belong to Mrs. Meyers and the world of the Shadowhunters belongs to Cassandra Clare. I own nothing.

. . .

The first thing I noticed when I walked into Biology was that Edward was not there. I was stunned briefly, rocking back on my heels to slow down. I glanced behind me, wondering if he was late. He wasn't there, but Mike was behind me. Hoping to avoid the question forming in his mouth, I hurried to my desk and seated myself quickly. Class went by quickly, hazily, as I pondered why Edward wasn't at school. I wasn't obsessed with him; I'm naturally curious and three times as stubborn. Needless to say, I'm wicked good at Sudoku.

Lunch was it's usual merry affair. I half-listened as the boys squabbled and the girls watched coyly and giggled. Tyler made a few moves to advance on Lauren, to which she responded with a myriad of giggles that impressed even me. I checked on the Cullen table every now and then, only to find at least one of the Cullen's eyeing me. When I met Alice's eye for the fourth time, I waved cheerfully to her. She grinned and waved back, shameless and reveling in it. The bell rang, sparing me the questioning looks of my table mates.

In English, Mr. Berty put us into groups of three to discuss the latest chapter of 'Grendel.' I was paired with Alice and Angela, for which I was eternally grateful. Angela shyly put her two cents in, while Alice and I heartily debated the foreshadowings and the allusions. Her golden eyes glowed with excitement over our debate, and I knew that she was thoroughly enjoying this. We were cut off when Mr. Berty used his power to force us into a classroom discussion. I maintained my silence for as long as I could, but after the third remark of, "Grendel seems really conflicted," I had had enough. I finally unleashed my tirade of opinions and gleanings on the class, startling Mike out of his stupor so violently that he nearly toppled out of his chair. Poor boy, he didn't have a chance, sitting in front of me like that.

Mr. Berty finally shakily interrupted me to allow Alice to voice her opinions, but he was thrown backwards by her own stream. The bell rang, but not before Mr. Berty pulled us both aside to request that we limit our diatribes to a few paragraphs. We shared a small smile before parting at the door.

I entered Gym jauntily, Angela at my side as we shared a few laughs over Mike's rude awakening in English. As I dressed down, Angela paused mid-laugh and asked, horrified, "Bella! Where'd you get those scars?"

I peered at my side and nearly cursed. The scars she was pointing at were my nastiest ones. I had gotten them when a Ravener demon had gotten the better of me and clawed me clean across the side. It was the worst injury I had ever sustained, due to a mixture of the poison from the demon and the fact that it had managed to mangle the flesh closest to my organs. It even found it's way between two of my ribs and nearly pierced my lung. It had taken a sorcerer named Magnus Bane and countless healing potions to keep me alive.

"I was in a car accident when I was little," I lied, pulling my gym shirt over my head. "It's not something I like to talk about." Even now, I could smell the blood and poison mixing into a dizzying scent.

Angela was quite, respectful and rebuked. We continued volleyball today, sans Rosalie and Emmett. Angela said that the Cullen's missed school often, but they were still some of the best students. I pushed away my knowledge of vampire intelligence, focusing on the game.

After school, I went home to do my homework. I wasn't in the mood to cook, and Charlie agreed to order pizza. We ended up sitting on the couch, eating pizza and shouting at the television as football players fumbled. I went to bed with a faint smile on my face, dreaming of a warmth that outdid the heat of the Arizona sun.

. . .

Edward was at school the next day. I saw him in the parking lot, standing next to his Volvo as he talked quietly with Alice. He glanced my way, his now-gold eyes watching me, drinking in my movements. I stared back, challenging him. He looked away, scowling at something Alice was doing. I couldn't see her face from where I stood, but when she looked my way, she was smiling. I smiled back, giving her a feeble wave. Angela called my name and I looked, smiling at her. When I peeked over my shoulder, Edward was gone.

When I entered Biology, he wasn't there again. Feeling the déja vu, I frowned and took my seat. Mr. Banner started his speech the moment the bell rang, forcing my attention away from Edward's absence. He told us that we were blood-testing today. I forgot about Edward completely. Despite my years of training and fighting, I hated the smell of blood. It reminded me of too many fights and too many deaths that I felt responsible for. I was about to ask to be excused, but Mr. Banner shot that down when he continued to say that unless we fainted, we were not to be excused from this lab.

As I went about setting up the lab, the feeling of unease increased in my stomach. Students went about pricking their fingers; girls were wincing and gagging, while boys tried to swallow their nerves and tough it out. I hesitantly pricked my finger, hoping for the growing dizziness to pass. The moment the blood appeared, I was overwhelmed with the scent of my own blood. The coppery scent rose, making me gag a little. The warm drop of blood began to roll down my fingertip and a cold feeling passed over me. I dropped to the floor like the scarlet drop, my head buzzing.

The forest was a mess...

Trees were torn up all around, with stumps shattered and bushes trampled. The loam beneath my feet was churned and squelching with every step I took. I forced myself not to look at the dark earth, trying to reassure myself that it was only water that was mixed with the dirt. I tightened my grip around my Seraph Blade, straining my eyes as I looked between the trees. Dents in the ground where demons had previously lain dying disrupted my vision. There was a skitter, and I turned to follow the sound. I saw nothing.

My breath was coming up in gasps as I forced myself to breathe. My ribs burned from the blow I had sustained when a demon had kicked me in the side. I had beheaded him for that, but the damage was done. I wanted to draw an iratze in them, but I didn't dare to lessen my grip on the weapon.

Another skitter, somewhere behind me and I whirled around. Still nothing. There was a patter and I turned, only to feel an agonizing pain slice across my stomach. I cried out, my abdomen getting soaked as I clutched one hand to the wound. When I pulled it away, it looked like I was wearing a scarlet glove. A whimper escaped me before I gritted my teeth. The Ravener demon was on my left, it's stinger floating above it. The demon scuttled at me again, knocking me over and grazing my side with it's stinger. I felt it scrape against my wounded rib, tearing a roar of pain from my throat. I slashed at the demon's head with my sword, blinded in my pain. It shrilled, and I pressed on the attack. It knocked me over, screeching at me and clashing it's fangs together. I felt it attack my wounded stomach, opening the wounds further. With a scream of pain, I stabbed the Ravener through the throat. It gurgled, dripping demon blood into my opening wound. Then it collapsed, slowly dissolving and leaving me drenched in it's acidic blood.

On my back in the blood-churned loam, I stared up at the sky. Morning was coming, streaking the sky was pink. I raised a blood-stained hand, trying to help the coming dawn to find me, to save me...

I came to as Mike was pulling my arm around his shoulders. I made a small, groggy protest, but it was to no avail. There was endless chatter above my head, confusing me further. Mike was saying something, but it was like I was underwater. I lolled against him as he pulled me upright. His mouth was moving again, and his words washed over me like waves.

"Are you... fainted... go to... nurse... okay?"

The nurse's office? The idea of laying on a bed, maybe with a cool towel over my forehead, sounded perfect. I nodded, my head aching with the movements. Mike half-dragged, half-supported me as we walked. I drifted in and out of consciousness; sometimes I knew the way to the nurse's office, and sometimes I was back in the clearing, laying in a pool of my own blood. Then Jace was pulling me through the halls of the Institute, yelling for Alec to go get Magnus, it was serious. I didn't look well and Jace's voice was shaking and I was faintly realizing that Jace, godlike Jace, was scared.

I caught my reflection in the window as we walked, with Mike's arm around my waist, before we made it outside. I slipped my arm from around his shoulder and said, "I need to lie down."

He released me and helped me sit down on the pavement. It was cold, but it kept me conscious. There was no loam in the chill of the concrete, no softness of the beds at the Institute in the solidness of the sidewalk. I closed my eyes and laid there, simply being. The sound of my own breathing, accompanied by Mike's labored breaths, were the only sounds I heard for a while. Then the sound of footsteps, and Mike's inquiring voice. There was a silky reply, smooth and prickling me with suspicion. Two arms wrapped around me, just as cold as the concrete I had been laying on. I shivered, and the voice sounded reproachful. I opened my eyes, only to find myself face to face with Edward. I was cradled in his arms as he carried me, bridal-style, to the nurse's office.

"I can carry her!" Mike was saying, hurt evident in his voice.

"I've got her," Edward said, and his tone was smooth as he discouraged Mike. "Go back to class; this lab counts a lot in your grade." Edward continued to march on, leaving Mike behind us as he strode forward.

I laid still in Edward's arms for a bit, too tired and too dizzy to protest. I leaned my head against his shoulder, exhausted, and he asked me, "Are you all right?"

My eyes snapped open as I stared at him, startled. "What?"

"I asked if you were all right," Edward repeated, his tone soft. "I saw Mike carrying you outside from my car, and then I saw you lie down on the concrete. When you didn't get up after a few minutes, I got worried and came over to see what was wrong."

I let my eyes slide half-closed. "I fainted during blood testing today, during Biology."

Edward chuckled. "That's why I didn't go today. I'm not a fan of blood either."

I nodded, pretending to believe his excuse. No matter the vampire's self-control, I seriously doubted any of them could be in a room full of fresh, exposed blood. "I'm not squeamish or anything. I have issues with blood and it doesn't help that it smells so strong."

Edward was silent for a moment. "Blood doesn't smell," he said hesitantly.

"It does to me," I retorted. "It smells like a bad mixture of salt and copper."

Edward let it slide, but his face remained puzzled. When he entered the nurse's office, she let out a big gasp and gushed, "Oh honey, what's wrong?"

"Blood-testing," Edward answered, and the nurse nodded knowingly.

"I get a few every year," she said, shaking her head. Leading Edward to a smaller room, she pointed and said, "Just lay her down on the bed, I'm sure she'll be fine after a few minutes. Stay as long as you need," she said, waddling off to her desk.

We were quiet for a few minutes, before Edward asked slowly, "You said you had issues with blood... What kind of issues?"

I let the question bounce around my skull for a minute, waiting for an answer to fully formulate itself. When it had marinated inside of me to a perfection, I finally answered, "I was in a car accident when I was a little girl. I was hurt pretty badly, and I sustained a lot of trauma in my abdomen. By the time the firemen got me out of the car, I had nearly died of blood loss. I was rushed to a hospital via Life Flight." I swallowed the acrid taste of bile as I remembered the blood drenching me in the forest, getting all over my body and even into my hair. "I sometimes have nightmares about it, and I always remember that awful smell of blood." I shuddered a little. "It took them hours to clean me up and get all the blood off of me and even out of my hair."

Edward was even paler than before, and he looked pained as he clenched his fists in his lap. "I need to go," he finally choked out, closing his now-black eyes. I nodded, and he left quietly, escaping the notice of the nurse. I laid on the cot for a while longer, trying to rest without falling asleep, where I knew the nightmares would be waiting.

. . .

Weeks passed by, with Edward avoiding me like the plague. Alice had grown increasingly friendly, as if to make up for her adoptive brother's exponential growth of hatred. Angela and I got along fabulously, spending some evenings studying together and passing the time laughing.

One week it began to snow, with little flakes coming down and covering the earth. A twinge of sadness plucked at my heart as I looked out the window over the snow covered trees. In Arizona it never snowed, but I spent two years in Idris and the Glass City in snow was a sight to behold. I sighed a little, before hurrying on my way to my truck. Charlie had put chains on it the night it began to snow, his stubborn thoughtfulness surprising but welcomed.

I parked my truck in the first spot I saw. Getting out of my car, I shut the door and watched a few rusty flakes join the snowflakes on the ground. "Have fun," I muttered to the melding flakes, swinging my backpack onto my back. I saw Edward park his car a few cars down and get out, casually glancing my way. I wondered idly if he was really just jealous of my truck. I mean, driving a Volvo has to be awful. My grandmother even made fun of Volvos for being an "elderly person" car.

I turned to go to class, smiling slightly at the random turns my thoughts had taken. I heard a squeal of tires, forcing my head to snap upright. My brain took a split-second to register the fact that Tyler was skidding in his van, his face contorted in a panic-stricken expression as his van rumbled towards me. I started to step out of the way, but my movements were sluggish. I cursed the fact that I was no longer a Nephilim, and I cursed my mundane slowness. Had I really let myself go?

I braced for the impact, trying to move away from the weight of the van. There was a flash of copper and I squeezed my eyes shut. I was knocked backwards into my truck with a crunch of metal, but as I slid down the side of my truck into a sitting position, I wondered why I wasn't hurt worse. I dared to open my eyes, and found Edward crouched over me, one hand braced against the side of the van, the other against the side of my truck. I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. He met my eyes for a moment, watching my stunned face.

"How?" I blurted, my voice cracking with the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Edward didn't answer, and I started to babble. "How did you do that? You were like, four cars down. And now you're here... How are you not hurt?"

Edward pulled his hands away from the braced position and stood up, towering over me. "You probably hit your head," he said finally. "We should get you to a hospital."

"But I feel fine-" I protested.

Edward shook his head, saying, "You hit your head pretty hard, Bella." There was a warning in his eyes, so I dropped the subject. The whine of an ambulance could be heard, and Edward waited patiently with me while the EMTs arrived. They put a neck brace on me, in case of head injury, and I felt like a dog with a cone around it's neck.

The ride to the hospital was short. The EMTs insisted on carrying me in a stretcher to the Emergency room. I was laid on a bed, where I awaited the arrival of my doctor. Underneath my neck brace, my throat itched. I cursed my bad luck.

The door swung open, and I found myself staring at a young, handsome, doctor. He had an angelic face with beautiful honey hair and golden eyes to match. I bristled a little at the eyes, but my unease multiplied tenfold when he said, "Hello Isabella. My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I heard you had an accident today."

Vampire. And not just any vampire, Edward's 'father.' I tried to remember the praise Charlie had heaped upon him, so I gritted my teeth, swallowed my pride and said, "Bella, please. I prefer Bella."

Looking a little surprised, Carlisle smiled beautifully at me, looked at his clipboard and said, "All right then, Bella. It says here that you have a chance of a head injury. Shall we take a look?"

I shrugged. "Sure. I don't think I have one, but your son seems to think so."

Carlisle's smile faltered a little. "Which son?"

"Edward," I told him. Pausing, I asked, "He is your son, right?"

Carlisle nodded, smiling. "Yes, Edward's my son. But why would Edward assume you have head trauma?"

"He was there when the accident happened," I told him, watching him as he dimmed the lights and pulled out a flashlight. "I didn't really see him before, but the next thing I knew, Edward was next to me and saying that I should lie still."

Carlisle shined the light into my eyes, checking my pupils for irregular dilation. "He does tend to get right in there, if there's an accident. Comes from having a doctor as a father, I suppose," he said, chuckling a little. "Do you remember much of the accident, Bella?"

"Most of it," I said. It was crystal clear in my mind, but almost too clear, like I had been taking in too much at once. "It's a bit blurred," I admitted.

Carlisle finished his tests and said, "Well, I don't think I'll need to do any scans or x-rays. You seem to be fine, if not a little shell-shocked. Take it easy the rest of the day, all right? No loud music, no bright lights or anything that could send you into shock or into seizures. Have Charlie check on you every few hours if you go to sleep, just in case you do have a concussion. If the pain worsens or if you feel nauseous, come back and we can help."

I nodded. "Can I take off the cone, Dr. Cullen?"

He laughed at that, a rich, deep laugh. "Sure thing, Bella." He helped me out of the neck brace, before helping me up and leading me out of the room. "Charlie's waiting for you in the waiting room, and I'm afraid he's very anxious over your safety."

I groaned a little, before realization struck me. "Wait! How is Tyler doing?"

Carlisle said lowly, "I'm technically not supposed to tell you. Patient confidentiality and all. But I will say that he's fine." Carlisle winked at me and whispered, "Keep it on the down-low, all right?"

"Mum's the word," I said, smiling a little.

I entered the waiting room, where Charlie jumped up immediately, relief plastered across his face. "Are you all right?" he demanded, looking worried.

"She's fine, Charlie," Carlisle said soothingly. "I examined her myself. She'll be a little sore and maybe even a little shocked. I'll need her to take it easy for a few days. When she goes to sleep tonight, nudge her awake every few hours, in case something crops up. Safety precautions, really." Charlie nodded, before tenderly enveloping me into a hug.

"I'm glad you're all right," he mumbled into my shoulder. I awkwardly patted him on the back, unsure of what to do.

"I'm fine, Dad. Tyler's probably more beat up than I am," I said.

"Good," Charlie grumped. "That boy deserves a stern talking-to." With that, Charlie began to discuss with Carlisle whether or not we should press charges. I edged away from the conversation, hoping not to get caught up in it.

Then I noticed Edward, standing in the corner of the room, his gold eyes unreadable as he watched me. I approached him silently, meeting his eyes and not backing down. His gaze did not waver, not even when I stood less than a foot away from him. "I don't know what happened, I only know what I saw. But someday soon, Edward, I want to know the truth about what went down. It doesn't have to be today, or even tomorrow. But you owe me the truth," I said in a low voice.

Edward's face was emotionless as he said, "I saved your life; I don't owe you anything."

"That may be," I said, my arms folding around my waist. "But I still want the truth." With that, I turned to return to Charlie's side, ignoring the scorch of Edward's tawny eyes burning a hole in my back.

. . .

I know that I'm not exactly following the order of the book, but I'm not that familiar with the Twilight series. I write it as I go, and I'm truthfully too lazy to rewrite it. But, oh well.

Now, to respond to the reviews!

Alessandria: Thanks! I hope you'll enjoy this update too!

The smell of blood and sand: I'm glad you're enjoying it, and hopefully my updates are long enough.

pixie freak: Yes, Bella can still use the Runes. If she did, however, it would probably mean death because she would be defying the Clave. She still has the sight, since you can't take away the sight without magic, and it takes a lot to do that. If you like the idea, check out the first version of this story, Shadows at Midnight. It's a lot different, but the idea is the same.

Your Biggest Fan: Thank you so much for your review. It means a lot to me to hear that, and I'm glad that I could deliver a story such as this to fans like you.

tamyyiia: Thanks for the love, and hopefully you enjoy this chapter!

Keep reviewing people! I'll try to respond to all of your comments like I just did, but if it gets to be too many, I'll just respond to questions or comments that I think deserve a response.


	3. To be human

I own nothing.

* * *

After the accident, I began to devote my time to thinking. When the van had come hurtling at me, I had never been so frightened. I may have stared death in the face during a few close calls while fighting demons, but I had never felt so _human_ when I saw the van skidding towards me. It was disturbing to see my own mortality thrown in my face, especially when I couldn't do anything about it. When I was a Nephilim, I could always thwart death. I could alter my humanity and bend the rules with a few Marks. I could make myself stronger or faster; with a single Mark I could survive a fall from a three story building and walk away as if I had merely walked down the stairs. I didn't have to be human then. And now, stranded in Washington, forbidden from my stele and from the practices of the Shadowhunters, I had to be human. My only problem was that I didn't know how to be one.

Sometimes, when I sat next to Edward in Biology, I could feel the mortality pulsing through my veins. Being next to a vampire, the ultimate hunter, reminded me how fragile I was. And sometimes, that relaxed me. I knew I was human around him; that was what I was supposed to be. So I grew closer to Alice: I talked with her in English, traded bits of gossip and shared a fair bit of laughter about some of our more clueless classmates. I tried to be sweet to Edward, forcing myself to smile when he was being friendly and to not be offended when he was being brusque. Some days he was kinder to me but other days he would flat out tell me that we shouldn't be friends, with the latter occurring more frequently. So I ended up playing it by ear, which usually ended in silence between us.

I stayed by Angela's side through many of the classes and at lunch, warming myself with her gentle smiles and kindness. One day, I sat down at lunch only to be overwhelmed with a flood of chatter between Angela and Jessica.

"Seattle would be the best place to go," Jessica was saying, "but it's so far away. We could get the same selection at Port Angeles."

"I agree. Seattle's great, but it's just too far for one day," Angela said softly.

"Why are you going shopping in Port Angeles?" I asked, taking a bite of the apple I had snagged from the lunch line.

"We're getting dresses for the dance," Jessica told me. I nodded, understanding flickering in my head like a 15 watt bulb. I had never been to a mundane dance and I wasn't keen on going. I had seen flyers on the wall advertising it, but I had an alibi for not going. Charlie. Thank the Angel that my father was the Police Chief.

"Would you like to come along, Bella? It's always great to have two opinions," Angela offered.

I shrugged. "Sure. I've never really gone shopping with friends before." _Unless you count shopping for knives with Isabelle in New York._

Jessica gaped at me. "You have to be kidding!"

I shook my head, swallowing another bite of my apple. "I didn't have many friends in Arizona, or places to shop at."

"You are so coming with," Jessica said firmly, slapping her plastic fork down on the table so hard that it snapped in half.

. . .

So bright and early on Saturday morning, I found myself standing outside my house with my arms folded in my jacket as I waited for Jessica to pick me up. Charlie had given me a long list of instructions, along with a bottle of spray that supposedly could ward off attackers. I had stared at him blankly, wondering how water could fight off someone, but he had insisted. So I pocketed the _mace_ spray instead of the knife I had wanted to bring (evidently I couldn't have a concealed weapon, and Police Chief Swan couldn't bring himself to allow me to break that little law. I suspected that truthfully, he didn't want to have to explain to the officers why his daughter had stabbed a man to death). Five minutes later, Jessica pulled up in a small, old white Mercury. I hopped inside, grinning at Angela and waving at Charlie through the window. He was standing on the porch, somberly waving goodbye.

"How hard was it for you to convince your dad to go, Bella?" Jessica asked, honing in on Charlie's facial expression like a heat-seeking missile.

I smiled sheepishly, pulling out the little bottle of mace that Charlie had given me. Jessica burst into laughter, and Angela cracked a smile. "Does he think you're going to get kidnapped, or something?" Jessica said, still giggling.

"Something like that," I said, setting the mace on the seat next to me.

From her seat in front of me, Angela said, "Better safe than sorry."

"And yet he wouldn't let me take a knife," I said sourly, folding my arms crossly. I loved my knife; it was a present from my mother.

Jessica burst out laughing again. We started trading jokes about the levels of paranoia in our fathers, postulating on how that had to affect their hearts. By the time we reached Port Angeles, we were in high spirits. We headed to a store that was displaying gaudy dresses in the window. Jessica squealed over every dress in the store, but when I pointed out the price tag, her face went white and she hurried out of the store. Mortified, she lead us to store after store. Angela was quiet and abashed in every dress that she tried on, while Jessica steadily chose a flashier dress each time. In the hope that I could keep Jessica from ending up looking like Cher, I pointed out a small store called Gottschalk's. There, I found a silky hyacinth blue dress that I eagerly took over to Jessica. She eyed it suspiciously, but agreed to put it on. When she walked out of the dressing room, I clapped my hands quietly. It offset the creamy color of her skin and made her eyes pop. Angela agreed heartily, making Jessica flush with pride. She spent some time in front of the mirror, twirling and fawning over her reflection.

I escaped through the racks of dresses, trying to find Angela a dress. I eventually found a pale pink dress that struck me as a dress for Angela. Grabbing it, I hurried over to Angela and handed it to her without a word, simply pointing to the dressing room. With a nod of her head, Angela obediently trouped into the dressing room and shut the door. Still oblivious, Jessica continued to prattle on.

When Angela emerged, I knew I had chosen right. The pale pink brought out the soft undertones in her tanned skin. The dress looked downright beautiful on her. Smiling shyly, Angela asked, "What do you think?"

"It's perfect," I said, giving her a broad smile.

Pausing mid-rant, Jessica briefly glanced over Angela's dress and said, "It looks amazing on you." Then she turned back and continued twirling in her dress.

Angela and Jessica bought their dresses, and as we walked away, bags in their arms, I noticed a small bookstore. My interest peaking, I slowed my pace and asked, "Hey, is it okay if I go over and check out that bookstore?"

Slowing, Jessica and Angela both thought for a second. "We only need to buy some shoes and jewelry, but we won't need that much help. I'm fine with it," Jessica said, shrugging.

Angela nodded in conclusion. "We'll be at that shoe store for about a half hour, and maybe that jewelry store on the corner for twenty minutes after that," Angela said, pointing out the two shops. "After that, we could meet at that little Italian restaurant for dinner." Jessica nodded in agreement and Angela asked, worried, "You know which restaurant I'm talking about, right Bella?"

"La Bella Italia?" I asked, smiling a little at the irony.

"That's the one," Jessica said, edging towards the shoe store like a fish on a hook.

"See you guys later, then," I said, waving. I crossed the street quickly as Angela and Jessica called their goodbyes.

I entered the shop, and a little bell on the doorframe tinkled. A elderly woman sat behind the counter, her seamed face kindly as she greeted me. I browsed through the books, running my hand along the titles. Many of them were obscure and many of them had things to do with myths or lore. I recognized a few books involving Quileute myths, and my interest was piqued. I knew that the Quileute tribe lived nearby in La Push, but I had heard rumors of some strange powers and creatures that resided there from some reports from Nephilim who had lived near there. I spent hours browsing through the books of Quileute myths before I finally picked out one book. It talked about the Cold Ones, vampire-like creatures that they had recorded encounters with. Despite what everyone thought, a lot of these Native American myths were true. This story reminded me forcibly of the Cullens, and I decided to buy it. Walking up to the little old woman behind the counter, I handed her the book and began to fish out money from my purse. She placed the books in a plastic bag, and I handed her a twenty. Book bought, I waved farewell to the woman and exited the shop.

Blinking in surprise, I found myself looking at the night sky. I hadn't thought I'd spent that long in the bookstore, but these things tended to happen to me. Wincing at the time, I started off through the streets. Hopefully Jessica and Angela weren't too worried...

A sound behind me made my skin prickle. I subtly glanced over my shoulder, only to see a man following behind me. I huffed inwardly, irritated that this man would follow me, of all people. I hoped that it was coincidence, because I didn't feel like neutering a man in the middle of the street. I picked up my pace, my ears pricked for any sounds. The man picked up his pace as well. I swore under my breath, and ducked down a side alley that I glimpsed earlier. It was darker than I had anticipated, so I all but ran through it. When I pulled out of it, I found myself lost. I glanced over my shoulder to go back, but the man was still following me. Cursing fluently under my breath, I hurried on, checking each street sign, hoping for a clue for me to find the restaurant I was supposed to meet Jessica and Angela at. No luck.

More noise caught my attention, and when I looked back, I saw two other men following me. "What is the problem with mundane men?" I hissed to myself. I crossed the street, passing an alleyway, only to find another man coming out of the alleyway and joining the little posse behind me.

I nearly hit myself in the forehead when I finally realized what was going on. I was being herded. I tried to casually reach for my purse, hoping to sneak out the mace bottle thing that Charlie had given me, when I realized I had left it in Jessica's car. Well, I'll be damned. This was the first time I've actually forgotten my weapon. I flexed my hands, judging their height from the shadows they were casting. I reckoned I could take at least two of them down, as I was. With my Marks, they wouldn't have even posed a threat. I finally slowed near a street corner that was well-lit. Witnesses would come in handy here. I faced the men and called out in a voice that was sharp with fear, "What do you want with me?"

One of the men, the middle one, chuckled and nudged his friends. "Aren't you a brave little girl, wandering the streets alone. You lost, honey?"

"No, but you seem to be," I shot back, "following me like that. Need directions? I can tell you how to go back to hell."

The man's face twisted in a cruel smile, and I wanted to be sick. He was one of those predator mundanes, the ones who took pleasure in corrupting and destroying others. His friends, guffawing, were his pawns, his pets. One man couldn't take a girl alone, but four grown men could. _Not that they could take me, at least, not without the fight of their lives._

I braced myself for a fight. The lead man reached out, running his hand along my arm as he crooned, "Don't be like that, baby. Let Lonnie take care of you."

I snatched his hand and roughly shoved it away from me. "Don't touch me," I spat.

The man turned his head slightly and said, "Jeff! Why don't you come give our new friend a hug? She looks like she could use one."

"Give yourself one," I hissed at the approaching man. He smiled stupidly, reaching for my arms. Bad idea.

I slapped one hand away, before punching his other arm near the shoulder. He jolted back, like a startled colt and I took the chance to kick his previously slapped hand in the elbow, right on the funny bone. He howled, rubbing at his arm and glaring at me. I raised my hands again, staring him down with my eyes. He growled and headed towards me again, but this time I punched him in the collarbone; not hard enough to break it, but enough to make it sting.

Jeff staggered away, nursing his collarbone. "Let's get out of here, Lonnie," he sniffled.

Lonnie, the ringleader, sneered at him. "Suck it up, Jeff. Dave, get her."

Another man lunged towards me, but a hard kick to his ankle and opposite knee made him topple to the ground in pain. Lonnie snarled at me, jerking his hand towards his friend. They stalked forward, hunter neanderthals following their prey. I crouched, my eyes narrowed as I tried to drink in their every move. As Lonnie lunged for me, I side-stepped him. His friend caught me around the waist, but I elbowed him in the stomach, winding him. He stubbornly held on as I tried to peel his arms off using pressure points. Lonnie advanced on me, a stupidly sick grin plastered across his face as grabbed my wrists and pinned them together. Trying to keep my cool, I prepared to fight my way out and run.

The squeal of tires skidding on the asphalt startled our little struggle. A silver car swung close, nearly clipping Jeff in the process. It stopped, and to my utter surprise, Edward Cullen jumped out of the driver's seat. Faster than I could really process, he was ripping Lonnie and his friend off of me, throwing them bodily away. I stared, shocked, as Edward snarled at the men. "Get in the car," he said, his voice so low that it was a growl. I grabbed my purse and my bag, heading for his car. Stupidly, Jeff grabbed at my ankles as I hurried past. Without thinking, I kicked him hard in the collarbone. I heard a snap as it broke, and Jeff launched into a series of howls that made my ears ring. I hurried to Edward's car, pausing at the door. Edward was still staring down the men, fury coming off of him in black waves. "Are you coming?" I asked, my voice surprisingly strong.

Edward didn't reply for a minute. His frame trembled with rage as he scornfully stared down at the men who were crumpled on the ground, whimpering and groaning. His head turned slightly towards me, and I could practically see him choosing between leaving now or killing those men. Finally, he said, "Yeah. I'm coming." I got in the car, shutting the door. I was buckling my seatbelt in the time that Edward got in and drove off, his tires squealing into the night.

The car was silent. Edward's hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard that I suspected that it was actually being bent out of shape. His eyes were black, and I could read the murders he wanted to commit in them. After a few minutes, I worked up the nerve to ask, "Edward, are you okay?"

Edward swiveled his head to face me so fast that I started a little. "You're asking if I'm okay," he said, ice dripping through every word, "when you're the one who was attacked?"

I nodded meekly, and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No, I'm not fine," Edward said, his brow furrowing. "I want to go back there and kill those..." he cut himself off, breathing deeply as he gritted his teeth. Starting again, Edward said in a horribly restrained voice, "Bella, I need you to calm me down. Talk about anything."

I racked my mind for something, anything to talk about. "I got a cool new book, it's about myths of the Quileute tribe," I tried, but Edward's facial expression didn't change.

I tried again. "I went shopping with Angela and Jessica today. They wanted some new dresses for that dance that's sometime soon."

"The Spring Dance," Edward said suddenly. "It's two weeks from now."

"Yeah, that," I said, feeling a little foolish for not even knowing much about it. "Since I've never really gone shopping with friends before, I went with. It took us like, two hours, but Jessica finally found a dress." I paused for a little bit, unsure of what to say next.

"What does it look like?" Edward asked without interest.

"Puffy and pale blue. She twirled around in that dress for over a half hour before she actually bought it. How she could walk a straight like to the counter is beyond me." I paused, before adding thoughtfully, "Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if she twirled in the dressing room while she was changing."

Edward cracked a slight smile at that, and I felt heartened.

"I found Angela a really pretty pink dress. It looks great with her skin tone, and she looked comfortable in it, for once. Dresses are notoriously uncomfortable," I told him, for his benefit. "I don't know what Alice says, but I'm betting she's just crazy about dresses. I think they're death traps made out of fabric. And don't get me started on heels," I added, my voice warning. "Those things are torture. _Torture!_"

Edward started to relax, and I could see the gold returning to his eyes. It was then that I realized that we were close to the restaurant that I was supposed to be meeting Jessica and Angela at.

"I was supposed to meet Jessica and Angela here!" I blurted, checking my watch. "Well, I was supposed to like, an hour ago. Do you suppose this counts as fashionably late?"

Edward shook his head and said, "I doubt it does. I'd like you to get some food, Bella. I don't want you going into shock."

_Please. If I go into shock, it's the apocalypse._ "If you're so sure," I said, shrugging.

"I am."

"All right then," I said, and opened my door. When I met Edward on the other side of the sidewalk, he gave me a faintly irritated look.

"I was going to open the door for you," he said, looking rejected.

I grinned sheepishly. "Next time I'll let you get that." He nodded, and we started towards the restaurant.

By a twist of fate, Angela and Jessica were exiting the restaurant as we approached it. "Bella!" Angela cried, rushing towards us. "Where have you been?" Noticing Edward for the first time, Angela backed up slightly and asked, subdued, "And where did you run into Edward?"

"I got lost, and I ended up running into Edward. He offered me a ride here, and I couldn't refuse," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

"How fortunate," Jessica stuttered out, and Edward smiled smoothly at them.

"I was hoping to get a bite to eat here, and Bella probably needs some food too. Would you care to join us?" Edward asked politely.

"We just ate," Angela blurted, and Jessica glared at her.

"It's quite all right. I can take Bella home for you, so that you don't have to wait around," Edward offered, and Angela nodded. Jessica scowled slightly, before she nodded.

As I passed her, Jessica whispered in my ear, "You totally have to spill." I winked knowingly at her as Angela whisked her away.

"I'm not all that hungry," I told Edward.

"Humor me," he said, holding the door to the restaurant open for me. I shrugged and walked inside, smelling the spices of Italian cooking.

We walked up to a waitress, who was busy straightening menus. "Welcome to La Bella Italia," she said before looking up. When she did, her pupils dilated and her jaw went a little slack at the sight of Edward.

When she didn't speak, Edward prompted, "A table for two?"

"Oh! Yes, of course. Follow me," she said, still looking dazed as she lead us through the restaurant.

When we were seated, I ordered a Coke and Edward seconded that, surprising me. I flicked through the menu, watching him out of the corner of my eye as he smiled so charmingly at the waitress that I was surprised and faintly disappointed when she didn't fall to the ground in a quivering mess.

"You really shouldn't do that," I told him casually, still perusing the menu. "It's rude to dazzle people."

"I dazzle people?" he asked, sounding genuinely surprised. Idiot boys, never noticing the girls around them.

Repressing a snort, I said, "Yes, you do. I bet she's hyperventilating into a paper bag in the kitchen right now."

He looked thoughtful, before he asked lowly, "Do I dazzle you?"

I looked at him then; his pale skin and wild copper hair that shone even in the florescent lighting of the restaurant. His eyes, now a dark gold, watched me carefully. I sighed a little, blushing as I unwillingly admitted, "Yes."

He looked startled at my answer, like he hadn't expected that. The waitress came by for our orders, and by 'our', I mean 'my' order. Edward had nothing, and I didn't comment on it.

I chewed on a breadstick, and I saw his eyes lighten to a paler gold. Daring to speak, I observed casually, "You're usually in a better mood when your eyes are this light of a gold."

"What?" Blank shock. Too far?

"When your eyes are black, you're usually in a really foul mood. When they're lighter, you're happier," I said, still nibbling on my breadstick.

Edward was quiet for a moment, before he asked slowly, "Any other theories you would care to share?"

"Yes. About how you found me," I answered, taking a sip of my Coke. "Hypothetically speaking, if people could read minds." His face blanked over, and I knew I had hit the nail on the head. "What would the limitations be?"

"Well, hypothetically, if someone was reading someone's mind-"

"Let's call him 'Joe,'" I said, sipping my Coke innocently.

"Joe, then. Well, Joe would have to be thinking about the right person at the right time in order for someone to read his mind. But finding you is a lot harder than it seems," he added.

"I thought we were keeping this hypothetical," I mused, finishing my breadstick.

"Of course."

"Hypothetically speaking, why would it be hard for, oh, say you to read my mind?" I asked, coyly meeting his eyes with a sly smile.

"Because a person like me can't read your mind," he said, his voice quiet.

I nearly dropped my Coke. He couldn't read my mind? "Why not?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe it's like a radio. Everyone's minds are on FM, and yours is on AM."

Or maybe being a Nephilim had something to do with it. "Interesting."

My food came, and I ate while Edward watched in silence. When I finished, he said, "I'd like to hear some more of your theories."

"Later," I said, finishing my Coke. He looked suspicious.

We finished, with Edward giving the dazzled waitress a generous tip. I got into his car, and as we started to drive, he asked me, "So what about your other theories?"

I was quiet, ruminating my answer as I tried to find a way to phrase this without sounding crazy or revealing what I was. Or what I used to be. "Well, you're fast. You're strong. You look like you never sleep. You can read minds. You avoid most people, and you only stay around your family, who all look like you."

Edward's hands were like iron around the steering wheel. "Go on," he said through clenched teeth.

"I know all the old myths," I told him. "I read a little bit into that Quileute myth book. It mentions the Cold Ones," I said, gleaning from my readings in the book shop.

Edward's eyes darkened.

"It talked about creatures that were cold and inhumanely beautiful. Creatures that were vampires," I rushed through the word, trying to take the sting away.

"What did you decide?" Edward asked, still staring moodily at the road.

I was quiet for a minute, before I said softly, "I decided that it didn't really matter."

Edward was silent, before he spluttered, "It doesn't matter?"

"No," I said, my voice soft. "People are what they are. And if I'm going to care about someone, I don't care about what they are. I only care about who they are."

"We're not talking about social cliques," Edward snapped. "We're talking about vampires and monsters!"

"And I'm saying that I don't care," I snapped back. _I've faced so much worse, Edward. Infinitely worse than a peaceful family of vampires._

Edward seethed for a while, and I let him. Finally, I distracted him by asking, "Do you really burn up in sunlight?"

"No." So I was right. He was one of the hybrid-vampires.

"Coffins?" I asked.

"I don't sleep." That was new.

"Stakes and garlic?" I asked, on a roll now.

"Stakes can't pierce us and garlic doesn't do anything."

"Lack of reflections?" I asked.

"I have a reflection. How else would Alice do her hair in the morning?" Too true.

We were quiet for a moment, before I asked, "Can anyone else in your family read minds?"

"No, that's just me." He hesitated for a bit, before admitting, "Alice is a psychic, and Jasper is an empath." I had some guesses that Alice was gifted, but I didn't expect Jasper to have powers. I made an inarticulate noise that made Edward smile a little.

We arrived in Forks, and I made a movement to get out of the car, but Edward was dashing out of the car and opening the door. I smiled gratefully at him, and he closed the door behind me, before walking me up the drive to my porch.

"Will you be at school on Monday?" I asked, folding my arms around myself.

"Yes. I have a paper due." There was a pause, and he said tentatively, "So I'll see you in Biology, then."

I nodded. "Of course." I gave him an awkward wave farewell, and he retreated to his car. He drove away as I unlocked the door and walked inside. I reported to Charlie, omitting the incident with the attempted rapists. I went to my room, collapsed on my bed and knew no more.

* * *

Thank you dearies! I know that I'm omitting certain parts of Twilight, but I'm doing my best. I am altering it slightly to fit Bella's character, and I hope I'm doing an all right job!

And now, to respond to the reviews!

**The smell of blood and sand:** Thanks! I try to make my chapter titles fitting, and I get thrilled every time I can add a pun in there.

**Fan of Meneme-chan:** Bella was asking Edward because although she suspects they are vampires, she wasn't sure why he reacted the way he did. She still doesn't, but my Bella is a bit clueless on things like that :)

**Hurrah for Meneme-chan:** Thank you so much! I update as much as I can!

**LaBella Gomez:** Thanks so much!

**tamyyiia:** You'll have to wait another chapter until Bella meets the whole family, but this was a bit of a confrontation.

**Randomly Random Person:** I update once a week on Tuesdays, but I might update more frequently if I have free time on my hands.

**Alanna-Banana1987:** I hope you understand a little more of what she's going through with this chapter. It's a big theme in this story, so I'll be expanding on it a lot.

**Sol Swan Cullen:** I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a while until Bella directly addresses why she was banished. If all goes to plan, it should be explained in chapter fourteen, but I'll throw in hints now and then.

**2007:** Thank you so much for being a fan!

Enjoy and review!


	4. Meet the Cullens

I own nothing.

* * *

On Monday, the moment I walked into school, I was jumped by Jessica. Her manicured nails dug into my shoulders as she grabbed me and whispered, "Spill everything! Now!"

I blinked rapidly, my brain a little stunned from how fast Jessica went from gossiping with Lauren to tackling me. "I'll tell you before History starts," I said, my mouth finally catching up with my brain, "when there's less of an audience." A meaningful glance towards Lauren convinced Jessica.

"All right," she said, slowly retracting her claws from my arms. "But you have to tell me everything." She punctuated each syllable with a small but firm shake of my shoulders. My brain rattled around in my skull as I nodded vigorously.

As Jessica flounced back to Lauren, I let out a sigh of relief and turned to head to my first class. Instead, I found myself running into Edward's very solid and very cold chest. Disorientated, I rubbed at my forehead and mumbled a not-so coherent; "Ow."

"Sorry," Edward said, steadying me. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that." His gold eyes did look contrite. They also looked rather shiny. I shook my head, clearing away my muddled thoughts.

"It's fine," I said. For the first time, I caught a whiff of his scent. It was sweet, like the scent of ripened fruit and flowers. Underneath the mouth-watering sweetness, I caught an undertone of the cloying sweetness, like the scent of death. Judging by the way everyone else reacted, they only smelled the deliciously sweet scent that drew them closer to him. A flash of delight ran through me when I realized that some of my Shadowhunting senses still remained, if out of practice. Grinning, I repeated again, "It's fine."

Returning the smile, Edward tilted his head in the direction of my next class and asked politely, "May I walk you to class?"

"You may," I said, still euphoric from my realization of the dregs leftover from my Shadowhunting days. We walked quietly down the hall, side by side. Students were whispering left and right: Some gaped openly, while others were pointing and talking excitedly. "It seems like we're lighting the grapevine afire today," I commented lightly to Edward.

"I believe that the fault lands on me," Edward murmured back. I shrugged nonchalantly; The gossip didn't bother me, so long as it stayed reasonable.

As we reached my classroom door, Edward turned to me and said quietly, "Bella, I would like to invite you to my home to meet my family. They want to meet you properly, since I..." He trailed off, and I had the feeling that if he could, Edward would be blushing.

"Sounds all right to me," I said, smiling slightly. "We'll talk about the times later, all right? Calculus awaits me."

He nodded, and I turned to part ways. Edward caught my hand and I turned, curious. After a slight pause, Edward bent over my hand and gently kissed it with his cold lips. My face heated up, and he murmured a farewell before whisking away. I stood, briefly stunned, before I remembered myself and walked into Calculus with as much dignity as I could muster.

The class was nearly full when I walked in there. People murmured and rumbled and whispered, teeming with curiosity as I took my usual seat next to Angela. She turned to me with her usual smile and asked me, "How was your weekend, Bella?"

I smiled, twirling my hair around my finger. "Pretty good. I didn't do much after our shopping trip. I finished up my paper, but that's about it."

Angela's smile crept wider as she leaned closer and whispered, "I know I shouldn't pry, but I can't help it... What happened after we left?"

"We ate dinner," I told her, dropping my voice so the other students couldn't eavesdrop. "After that, Edward drove me home."

Angela nodded, her body relaxing as she drifted back into her usual state of conscious thoughtfulness. We sat in compatible silence throughout the rest of math, occasionally sharing a book or puzzling out a math problem together. When the bell rang, I grimaced to Angela and said lowly, "Wish me luck. Jessica's in our next class."

Angela laughed and walked with me down the halls. "What do you think she's going to do to you?" Angela said, smiling with mischief in her eyes. "Truth serums? Torture?"

I shrugged, before giving her a caustic smile as I pulled at my hair in mock-fear. "Anything in between the rack and forcing me to go shopping with her at Abercrombie and Fitch."

Angela started to laugh, and I threw in a few wry laughs with her. With his usual perfect timing, Edward was walking towards us as Angela started hiccuping. I waved to him, and Angela opened her mouth to say hello, but a loud hiccup came out instead. Edward jolted slightly, surprised for once, perhaps by the fact that Angela had produced such a loud noise. Unable to hold it in, I doubled over in laughter. Angela's face flushed and Edward looked stunned. Angela hiccuped, and I let out a snort. This time, Angela started laughing. We passed Edward; me snorting with laughter and Angela laughing.

We looked back over our shoulders at the baffled Edward, and my laughter washed over me like a wave. "That was smooth," I managed to say, still snickering.

"Like you were any better," Angela said, her stare deadly and her hiccups adorable. She couldn't keep a straight face, however, and she excused herself to get a sip of water before class, hoping to cure her hiccups.

The moment I walked in the door, I saw Jessica pouncing on me from the corner of my eye. I barely had enough time to try to skitter away, like a frightened colt before she had her nails embedded in my arm. Steering me to her desk, she forced me into a chair and commanded in a low voice: "Spill it." Her blue eyes sparkled with the thrill of the hunt for gossip.

"After you guys left, Edward and I ate dinner in the restaurant. I had mushroom ravioli and a Coke."

"What did Edward have?" Jessica hissed, her eyes narrowing.

"The same," I said, fibbing a little. He ordered a Coke as well, but made me drink it. Jessica nodded, her claws retracting a little from my flesh. "We ate and he insisted on paying for dinner. Then he drove me home and dropped me off."

"What did you do in the car?" Jessica hissed, and the sentence was so absurd that I nearly snorted and gave her a sarcastic answer, but her nails were really starting to dig in.

"We talked," I said, subtly trying to pull my arm out of her iron grasp.

"About what?" Jessica asked, her eyes burning as she tightened her grip. This girl could get a job in the CIA working as an interrogator. No one could escape her clutches, literally.

"Um..." _That he's a vampire and that I'm cool with that._ "School, what we were shopping for..."

Jessica's grip tightened, and I nearly winced. I had faced she-demons with less claws than her. "That's all?" I nodded vigorously, and she released me. I waited for a little while, but Jessica appeared deep in thought. Slowly I backed away and retreated to my usual seat, where Angela was waiting for me, along with Mike.

"I heard you and Cullen hung out this weekend," Mike said, trying to be smooth. _Please, boy. I know people who invented smooth, and it sure isn't you._

"Yeah, we ran into each other while I was shopping. He took me out for dinner, we talked and then he drove me home," I said, unloading my backpack and taking my usual seat next to Angela. His face fell perceptibly, forcing me to bite down a grin.

"Anything else?" he asked, a little sour. "Any upcoming hot dates?" I saw Jessica slink over to us, her ears pricked and her eyes glowing. I was so going to have nightmares about her.

I twirled my hair around my finger, looking coyly out the window as I stalled. He had heard about me avoiding the dance with a lie about Charlie and about Seattle. He had made a few jokes about my truck, and even a few hints that maybe he should drive me in his car. "Well... When I told him I was going to Seattle on Saturday, he offered to go with me, maybe even to drive me." I made a face as I added, "Evidently he doesn't think my truck can make it there." Mike and Jessica's faces were matching in their intense glowers. Smiling brightly, I asked in my sweetest voice, "Does that count as a date?" _Okay, so I was being cruel. But the constant interrogations were driving me insane._

"Yeah, that counts," Jessica said bluntly, as if she was talking to a toddler.

I allowed myself to blush as I fidgeted with my pencil. In truth, I was excited to see him again. I was just as eager to see his family, to see what kind of home he had, what these covens looked like.

"Can I sit next to Bella today?" Jessica asked, alarming me. Angela gave me an apologetic look as she moved to switch seats with Jessica.

We sat in silence for a short while as Jessica stared Mike and Tyler down. They slunk away, rejected and sullen. Turning to me, Jessica asked quietly, "Do you like him?"

"Yes," I answered truthfully, with a hint of sarcasm. _Of course I like him. I would have probably killed him otherwise._

"Like him as a friend, or like-like him," Jessica pried, her smile becoming more and more shark-like.

I was thoughtful for a minute. Edward was a gentleman; he was poised, well-behaved and thoughtful. And as I saw in Port Angeles, he was passionate. He had a temper, but that didn't frighten me. He was protective, almost to a fault. And when I was around him... I forgot about being a banished Shadowhunter. I was a human, simple and brief, like a soap bubble in the wind. I could see my own mortality, but it didn't frighten me. The only danger was him, and if he was half as dangerous as he thought he was, I would have been running by now.

"Yes," I said again, but more slowly, drawing the syllables out and letting them topple from my lips and be sucked into Jessica's greedy ears.

"Yes, you like him as a friend, or yes you like him as...?" Jessica asked, leaning closer.

"As more," I finished, my face heating. "Probably more than I should, and probably more than he could like me," I admitted, out loud, for the first time. It was true. Here I was, fawning over some vampire because he made me feel human, pinning all my hopes on this one chance to be mortal...

Jessica left me alone after that, her smile smug as she inwardly gloated over her prize of gossip. I was irritated with myself, for letting her get under my skin like that. But then, I thought wryly, maybe that's how she survived living in a town like this. With no change, little chances of escape, maybe she was thriving off whatever change she could soak up.

The bell rang, and I followed Mike to Biology. I took my customary seat next to Edward, smiling at him as I said quietly, "Hi."

"Hello, Bella," he said, a faint frown on his lips, almost like he was concentrating. He didn't broach any subjects, so I didn't bring any up. Mr. Banner put a movie in, and the class settled down to sleep. Edward folded his arms and clenched his hands. I folded my arms and leaned on the desk, relaxing the rest of my body so it sank into the seat.

There was an electricity humming between Edward and I, a tension that I did not know how to alleviate. It prickled across my senses, drowning me in a rush of adrenaline and heightened senses, as if I was instinctively reacting to the predator next to me. I wondered if Jessica felt this when she was near Edward. No doubt she felt the bewildered attraction to him; it was a vampire's lure to their prey to be irresistible. But I wondered if any of the other humans could fathom the creature in their classroom was something out of their wildest imaginations. If any of them had ever even guessed at being something other than human, something more than that. Were they even aware that there were so many different kinds of creatures in their world? Did they even guess that half of the world was invisible to them, shielded by their blind eyes that did not have the Sight?

I shifted restlessly, then turned my attention to Edward. Here he was, a creature of lore and myth and mystery. Yet he had no signs, no senses about him to even question if I was purely human. I doubted that he knew much about the Clave, if anything at all. The confidence in his voice as he dismissed my guesses about vampires had given me that much of a clue. While he might not be vulnerable to holy water or sunlight, there were plenty of vampires who were. That he didn't know that disturbed me a little.

Then again, I hadn't known that much about his kind of vampires. I shook my head slightly and reprimanded them. Maybe Edward was too young to his kind to know all their secrets. I knew there was a ruling force behind their kind, but I didn't know anything about them. I assumed that the Clave knew more about them than I did, otherwise... I didn't even want to fathom the possible consequences of that.

Class ended sooner than I had anticipated. I stretched, smiling slightly at Edward. "That was interesting," I lied, nodding towards the movie.

"Mm," Edward said, nodding inconclusively. So he hadn't paid any attention either. I nearly grinned, but I walked with him to the cafeteria. "Will you dine with me today?" he asked, polite.

"That depends on what exactly you'll be dining on." The words came out of my mouth before I could even register them, and I inwardly cursed as Edward's face went blank. _Curse this unpredictable sarcasm!_

I hurriedly piled food on my tray, not paying attention to what I was grabbing. I bought my food and started to head over to Jessica. Edward's hand hovering near my side slowed me as he asked, "Why are you heading over there?"

"I thought... Well, with my comment..." I trailed off, confused. Wasn't he angry?

Edward's smile was crooked as he said quietly, "I'm not angry about your little jab, if that was what you're thinking. It just surprised me, since I didn't expect it."

"Neither did I," I muttered dryly as I followed him to an abandoned table. I grabbed an apple from my tray and took a bite. Edward was looking slightly over my shoulder, his eyes unfocused as he stared into the distance. "Any fascinating thoughts coming from my classmates?" I asked quietly, taking another bite.

His eyes snapped back to my face as he smiled wryly and said, "Jessica is analyzing my every move. She plans on breaking it down for you later."

I rolled my eyes. I was capable of having a conversation with a boy, despite what she thought.

"I heard something, something that I didn't really agree with..." Edward said, fiddling with a piece of pizza.

"And what did you hear?" I asked, spinning the apple on it's stalk.

"You said that you liked me more than I could possibly like you," he said, still toying with the pizza.

So he had been eavesdropping when Jessica was grilling me for information. "And that I like you more than I should," I added, not meeting his eyes.

"That I agree with," he said, forcing me to meet his eyes out of shock. "I'm too dangerous for you." I shook my head slightly, taking an irate bite out of my apple. _Silly boy, didn't he realize that I had faced worse by first grade?_ "But that you like me more than I could possibly like you? Why did you say that?" he asked, prying shamelessly.

"I said it because it's true," I said, regarding my apple darkly. It was true. The way I felt around him... I was normal with him. I was human and it wasn't shameful. I could see my mortality without having to have a knife at my throat or some other deadly encounter. For me, it was like he was my only chance to be _human._

Edward was shaking his head. "Why do you think it's true?" he asked, his voice softer.

_Shit._ Now I had to explain it without revealing my nature. It was forbidden to reveal what you were to a mundane, and in this situation, Edward counted as one. And as I was no longer a member of the Clave, I would be betraying the secrets of the Shadowhunters, not as a Nephilim but as a spy and a traitor.

Best to go with the understandable teenage angst of not being pretty enough.

"It's obvious," I said, not looking away from my apple. "For one, I mean, look at you." He involuntarily glanced down at his shirt, almost confused. "You're... you. And I'm... me. Ordinary, plain old me." The self-disgust in my voice wasn't fake. I was Bella Swan, human extraordinaire, lacking any real ways to defend herself against the big bad world that she could see but couldn't venture into. I was utterly, absolutely, pathetically, human. Nothing more, and there was nothing less than human.

"You're not plain, and you're certainly not ordinary," Edward said, and his tone was tender. "You're beautiful, Bella. You can't hear the way people think about you."

_I was beautiful, when I had my Marks_, I thought sourly. I shrugged, and Edward let it pass.

"I was wondering... if someone dared you, could you eat human food?" I asked, nodding to the plate.

Regarding the food coldly, Edward slowly picked up a slice of pizza and took a small bite. Hardly chewing, he swallowed like it was a piece of slime. "It's like eating dirt," he said, looking faintly nauseous. "It tastes terrible, but it doesn't hurt us." Looking at me, Edward asked, "Have you ever been dared to eat dirt?"

"Once," I admitted. _Last summer, when I was visiting my mother's friends in New York. The adopted son of her friend dared me to in a game of Truth - Or - Dare._ "It doesn't taste good, but it's not awful."

Edward smiled a little, amused. Then he stiffened, and glowered at his sister Alice, who was approaching us.

"Hi Bella," she said, smiling and seating herself next to me. Edward growled low in his throat, but I pretended that I didn't hear him.

"Hi Alice. What brings you to our table of solitude?" I asked, giving Edward a light, goofy grin.

"I'd like to invite you to our house tonight for dinner," she said, ignoring Edward's glares. "I'd love to go over what you wrote about on your essay, in case Charlie needs convincing," Alice said, winking. "We'll see you at six thirty."

With that, she whisked away. "Charming girl," I commented lightly. "So, what did you write your essay on?"

"The influences of mythology on the social structures of the early eras," Edward said, and I nearly laughed. "What about you?"

"Whether Shakespeare was a misogynist."

The bell rang and we got up. "Time for judgement," I said, cracking a wry grin at Edward.

. . .

Charlie arrived home at five. I was sitting in the living room, waiting impatiently for his car to pull up in the drive. I approached him shyly, hesitantly. "Hey Dad...?"

Charlie looked up, his beetle eyes alert as he reached for his gun. "Do I need to shoot some boy for you?" he asked with a little too much gusto for my taste.

"No, that won't be necessary," I said hastily. "It's just that... Edward... and Alice. Edward and Alice invited me to have dinner with them. Alice wants to go over what we learned today, and Edward and I have a test coming up in Biology..." I knew I was rambling, but I was nervous. I had never really anticipated asking my dad for his permission to date, let alone go meet a boy's family.

Charlie was quiet, and some of his quiet blanketed me. I fell silent, waiting for his decision. "Their parents will be home?" he asked, not meeting my eyes.

"Yes. Mrs. Cullen is evidently really excited to meet me, with me being friends with Edward and Alice..."

Charlie nodded. "Esme's a nice woman." Silence again. After a moment, he said, "Well, all right. But be home by nine." I nodded vigorously, and the conversation was over.

I went upstairs to mull over my outfit. I flipped nervously through my closet, unsure of what someone would wear to meet their sort-of boyfriend's family. I ended up deciding on a pair of my nice dark blue jeans and a soft blue blouse. Slipping flats on my feet, I prepped and preened in the bathroom. I went downstairs at six, waiting for Edward.

"Edward picking you up?" Charlie asked from the kitchen.

"Yes," I said, drifting towards the sound of my father's voice. Upon entering the kitchen, I nearly had heart failure. Sitting at the table, Charlie was cleaning out his gun. "Dad," I cried, "you're not going to shoot him, are you?"

"Not if he gets you home on time," Charlie said, grim as he cleaned his gun. This was infinitely worse than the time that Alec came to pick me up when I was needed for a mission. No amount of pleading with Phil had made him understand that Alec was here for business, not to court me. _Anyways, Alec wasn't interested in me anyways, me being a girl and all..._

There was the purr of an engine and the sound of a car door slamming. Footsteps on the porch, and then a series of three polite knocks. Grabbing his gun, Charlie grunted, "Let's get this over with."

I followed behind lamely as Charlie opened the door. Edward was standing there, impeccable in slacks and a button up shirt as he said respectfully, "Good evening, Chief Swan." He held out his hand, and Charlie gruffly shook it. "I'm here to pick up Bella."

Charlie nodded, staring at Edward intently. "I want her home by nine, not a minute later."

"Of course, sir. I'll have her home at nine," Edward said, bowing his head ever so slightly.

Nodding his satisfaction, Charlie gave me a gruff hug and mumbled, "Be safe, Bells," in my ear. I blushed a little and nodded, following Edward out to his car with a wave goodbye to Charlie. Edward, a few strides ahead of me, opened my door for me. I seated myself with a smile and buckled myself in, and Edward carefully shut the door, before walking around to his side of the car. I waved goodbye to Charlie as Edward turned on his car and slowly drove away.

When the house was out of sight, I said quietly, "Sorry about the gun. Charlie was worried that you'd kidnap me, or something."

"He's more worried that I'm going to break your heart," he informed me, grimacing. I blushed again, and turned my head to look out the window. I observed the scenery going by as Edward drove us down a few windy roads, before turning off on a road that lead into the woods. After a few minutes, I saw a beautiful and tall white house ahead. There were large windows decorating the sides, creating an ethereal feel about it.

"It's beautiful," I said quietly, after I got over my shock.

"You should tell Esme," Edward said, looking pleased. "She designed the house herself." He parked, and immediately jumped out to open my door for me.

"Such a gentleman," I said, smiling a little.

"It was how I was raised," he said, closing the door for me. Courteously he took my elbow and assisted me up the stairs, and for a moment I felt that I was in the Victorian era. He opened the door, and I found myself face to face with Alice.

"Hi Alice," I said cheerfully.

"Hi Bella!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. "Come on in!" I followed her and Edward inside. She gestured to Jasper and said, "You've met Jasper." He nodded solemnly to me before heading upstairs. "He's a bit shy, and he's a little worried about being around humans," Alice whispered to me, and I nodded. She then lead me to a woman with long brown hair as Edward closed the door. "Bella, this is Esme. She's our mom," Alice said.

Esme extended her hand to me, smiling hugely as she said sweetly, "Hello Bella. I've heard so much about you from Edward and Alice. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

I shook her hand and gave her a smile, struck shy by how delicate she seemed. "It's wonderful to meet you too. Edward told me that you designed the house, and I can't help but be amazed by how gorgeous it is."

Her smile widened as she looked fondly at Edward and I both. "Oh, thank you dear. I love to do interior design, it's a hobby of mine."

"You could make a career out of it," I said, gazing at the high walls and spacious layout. "In fact, I'll have to beg you to design my first house."

Esme beamed at me. "I would love to." Her face grew serious, and she said sadly, "Unfortunately, Carlisle will not be joining us tonight. There was an emergency at the hospital, and he was needed for a surgery."

"I understand completely," I said, smiling reassuringly at her. "In any case, this just makes me want to come back more, so I can meet the whole family."

A delicious smell wafted towards me, and I tilted my head ever so slightly towards it. "Rosalie and Emmett are cooking in the kitchen," Esme said. "I hope you like Italian food." She lead me towards the kitchen, with Alice, Edward and me in tow

"I do, but why Italian?" I asked, a little confused.

"Your name's Italian, right?" Emmett asked, making me jump. How I had missed him, I had no idea.

"I think so. But I'm not actually Italian," I said, feeling a little confused.

Emmett's face fell, and Rosalie said irritably, "I told you she wasn't Italian."

"My stepdad is, I think," I mused. "At least, he knows people from Italy."

Edward looked curiously at me, but Emmett asked blithely, "What's your stepfather's name?"

"Phillip," I said, looking down at my feet. "Phillip Wayland."

"I've never heard a last name like that before," Esme said, her lips puckering as she thought.

"It's an unusual name," I said, shrugging slightly. In truth, Wayland was one of the older families of the Shadowhunters. Anyone who knew anything about the Clave would recognize that name.

There was an awkward silence as I stubbornly avoided looking up and everyone tried to think of something to say. Emmett finally broke the silence. "Hey Bella," he said, smiling at me. "What did the fish say when it ran into the wall?"

I stared blankly at him, shifted my gaze to Edward, who was grinning and then looked back at Emmett. "What did the fish say?"

"Dam!" Emmett said, before erupting into laughter. I laughed too, surprised and amused by his random joke. Rosalie stubbornly continued to cook, but her lips twitched upwards into the smallest of smiles.

"That was pretty lame, Emmett," Edward said, shaking his head.

"I've got an even more pathetic one," I said, smiling guiltily.

"Lay it on me, Bella!" Emmett said, scooting closer. The image of a puppy came to mind as Emmett wiggled in anticipation.

"How do you make an egg roll?" I asked, keeping my face as blank as I could.

Emmett thought for a moment, his brow furrowing as he tried to remember. "I really don't know," he said, sounding a bit put out.

"You push it," I told him. He was quiet for a second, and I briefly worried that my joke was too lame. At least, until Emmett dropped to the floor laughing.

Edward groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "He's going to be telling that one for decades," he said with a sigh.

"Thanks for that," Rosalie said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. I bit down my retort of 'You're welcome!' and simply leaned against the counter. Sniffing at the food, Rosalie took the pot to the sink and poured out the hot water, before pouring a steaming pile of noodles onto a plate. Grabbing a second, smaller pot that had escaped my notice, she ladled sauce onto the spaghetti, before handing me the plate. "Here," she said bluntly.

"Thanks," I said, but she was all ready gone. I blinked after her, then shrugged. I took the plate to the table and set it down, before turning around to ask where the glasses were. Alice was standing behind me, holding a glass of water and a fork. "Thanks Alice," I said, grinning and seating myself. "Do you have a spoon?" I asked. Edward handed me one, and I took the fork and spoon and said, "I don't know if any of you have been to Europe, but I would like to show you how they eat spaghetti over there."

Alice seated herself across from me, her eyes bright as she watched me. I began to twirl the spaghetti with my fork. After I got some, I slipped the spoon underneath and twirled the spaghetti into a ball, using the spoon to shape the little blob. "This makes it easier to eat and saves you from getting noodles all over your face," I explained, smiling a little. Then I ate my first bite. "This is good," I said, faintly surprised. "What sauce did you guys use?"

"Just some sauce from the store," Alice said, shrugging. "Why?"

"Because it's better than the spaghetti I make."

Alice shrugged, then gave me a wide smile, "It all tastes the same to us."

"Not to me," I said, eating heartily now. When I finished, I cleared away the plates and helped clear off the table.

"How about you give her a tour, Edward, before you all settle down into studying?" Esme gave us all a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with slight mischief.

Edward nodded and gestured for me to follow him. He took me through the first level of the house, showing me the large living room, the entrance to the garage, and a large, open area where a beautiful grand piano sat. "Is that a grand piano?" I asked, my voice dropping as we approached it.

"Yes," Edward replied, seating himself at the bench. "Would you like to hear me play?" he asked, his eyes lingering on the keys. I nodded and seated myself next to him on the bench.

His fingers began to caress the keys, playing a soothing lullaby that made my whole body relax. I allowed myself to lean against his hard shoulder as memories began to wash over me.

I was four years old. My mother played piano and I would always watch. Sometimes, she would show me her music sheets and play a simple tune, showing me which notes meant which keys. She was in the kitchen, and I had crept over to the ancient piano, awestruck by it's size. It was a thing of beauty that my mother prized, and I wanted to share in that happiness. I managed to find a small booklet, one with big print and not too many notes on the page. I placed it in it's holder, like my mother always did, before I gently slid the cover off the keys. Sitting up straight, holding my hands up like my mother had taught, with my shoulders barely two inches above the keys, I began to play. Slowly but surely, I read the notes as best as I could, plunking through the song. My mother appeared in the doorway, shocked and delighted as I worked my way through a song. When I finished, she cried and held me, praising me and promising to give me lessons. I was so happy, and the song kept playing in my head, short and sweet as it drifted through my mind.

There were infinite memories of my lessons. I played every day for two hours, my mother by my side as I learned. Eventually I began to play on my own as I began to improve, and soon I didn't need anyone next to me as I played for hours on end.

It was late at night. I was eleven now, wandering through a large, cold building. We were visiting my mother's friends in New York. There were three other children my age, but I was too shy to say much to them. The girl didn't seem to like me, anyways. I was exploring the big old building, curious. I found a large room that was empty, save for the ancient old piano in the center. Transfixed, I approached the piano reverently. My fingers drifted along the tops of the keys, soaking in the feel of the ivory against my skin. Unconsciously I seated myself, my posture straightening and my breath slowing. I began to play my favorite piece: Für Elise by Beethoven. I loved the delicate beginning, the way it seemed so tender. I played the song, so enraptured by the song and the tone of the piano that I didn't notice the door opening. One of the children, the boy with blonde curls and a smile that would make angels cry. He approached the piano silently, his hands folded behind his back as he listened. When I finished, he silently seated himself next to me and began to play. I recognized the song, a duet, and began to play with him. We played for hours, until my mother came looking for me. After that, we would play together every day until I had to leave.

The day after I nearly died from the Ravener attack, I snuck out of the makeshift sick room and headed to the piano room. I let out a sigh of relief as I came into the room. I sat down on the bench and idly began to play. I was so tired from the attack, but the leftover emotions of fear and anger were beginning to stew inside of me. I let them out in a torrent of zealous playing, the keys screaming out the chaos inside of me. I heard the click of the door as someone entered, but I knew my curly-haired friend well enough to know that he would wait. I played for some time longer, until I was devoid of all rage. All that remained was a peaceful feeling, and I began to play my favorite piece once again. He sat next to me as I played, silent and accepting as I poured my exhaustion into the music. When I finished, he carried me back to my bed, where I slept more deeply than I had in nearly a year.

I had been playing since I was four. I had learned Nephilim songs, had played for my friends after we trained or for my mother when she weary and I had even once played at a ball, where the Inquisitor had even complimented my skills. I had been so proud of my ability to play, and sometimes my fingers ached to play.

I shifted slightly, my head now resting on Edward's shoulder. He played well; his movements were graceful and deliberate. I watched his hands trace the keys with a familiarity I knew all too well.

As much as I missed it, I was loathe to play again. To play the piano would bring back even more memories and bring back the old Isabella, the Isabella who was graceful and strong and fearless and a Nephilim. And I was Bella now; sweet and loyal and strong and human. The piano was a part of Isabella, a part of her blood and her bones. It couldn't be a part of Bella; not if I wanted Bella to last.

When Edward finished playing, I said softly, my face still pressed against his shoulder, "That was beautiful."

"I wrote it for you," he said quietly, and my insides squirmed as I blushed.

"Thank you for playing it for me," I said, and he nodded. Then he shifted, and I sat up.

He stood and then helped me to my feet and offered, "Shall we see the rest of the house?" I nodded, unable to resist brushing my fingers across the keys. The ivory was a familiar feel to my skin, like gloves. The longing must have shown in my eyes, because Edward asked, "Do you play piano?"

"No," I said, a little sadly. "I wish I did."

"I can teach you someday," he said, guiding me gently towards the stairs.

"Maybe," I said, following him.

The tour was quiet, with little incident as he showed me all of the rooms in the house. His room was large and spacious, decorated in golds and blacks. One wall was entirely devoted to his large collection of CDs. I ran the tips of my fingers along them, my eyes drinking in the varieties and the artists. I noticed a few CDs with his name on them, and when I asked, he said they were recordings of his compositions. I nodded, impressed, before I continued. We stood in silence as he watched me pour over his CDs. After a while of silence, Alice entered noiselessly and smiled at me.

"He has quite the collection, doesn't he?" Alice asked fondly, smiling at her brother. He smiled back, and I agreed. "I'm here to 'study' with you, so Esme can have her peace of mind and Charlie can be reassured that you weren't coming over just to neck with Edward." I blushed, and Edward hissed something at Alice that I didn't catch. Alice merely threw back her head and let out her merry little laugh that reminded me of bells and wind chimes.

We sat on Edward's floor, listening to random music from Edward's collection (all chosen by Alice, of course), laughing and discussing school. We covered everything that we had learned in Biology and the things that we would learn, thanks to Alice. Alice and I happily discussed our essays, while Edward threw in his opinion every now and then.

When I finally left for home, I was smiling and content. I was surprised when Alice hugged me farewell, and I promised to sit with her at lunch tomorrow. As Edward drove me home, I said softly to him, "You have a wonderful family."

Edward smiled, a whole, gentle smile, and he agreed, "Yes, I'm very fortunate to have them."

As we pulled into my neighborhood, I said quietly, "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Edward."

"You're welcome."

"Thank your whole family for it too, especially Alice." His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, listened briefly, before wordlessly handing it to me. "Hello?" I asked, a little confused.

"You're welcome!" Alice's voice chirped in my ear and I laughed. "Have a nice night Bella, and go easy on my brother." Then she hung up.

"Your sister is strange," I said. "Amazing, but strange."

I handed him back his phone, and he said, "You have no idea."

When he parked in the drive, it was 8:58. We sat for a short while, absorbing the silence. "I don't have to be home until nine," I whispered to him.

Edward nodded. "We can't stay long, though. Your father will get suspicious."

"Then this won't take long," I murmured, before leaning over to kiss his cheek. My heart was beating fast in my chest and my cheeks began to burn the moment my lips touched his cold cheek. He was very still as I kissed his cheek, and he stared at me as I sat back, my eyes on my hands as I blushed.

Edward got out and opened my door for me. I took his proffered arm as he walked with me to my front porch. We stood in silence, watching each other, unmoving. "I should be going inside," I finally managed to whisper.

"You should," Edward whispered back. "There's only thirty seconds until it's exactly nine." He hesitated, before he leaned closer as he murmured, "Then this won't take long." He pressed his cold lips to my forehead, before gently kissing each cheek. Finally, he took my right hand and pressed a tender kiss to the back of my hand. "Thank _you_ for the wonderful night, Bella," he said. I nodded, my heart somewhere in my throat. Reaching over, he opened the door for me.

Charlie came to the door immediately, nodding gruffly at Edward. "Not a second past nine," Charlie said, checking his watch. "Good."

"Thanks again for the wonderful dinner," I said, smiling at Edward as I slowly backed inside. "Tell Rosalie she's a wonderful cook."

Edward nodded. "I will." Reaching out, Edward shook Charlie's hand firmly. "Thank you for allowing me to have Bella for dinner, Chief Swan." Charlie nodded but didn't say a word, which didn't seem to bother Edward. "I hope to see you tomorrow Bella," Edward said, smiling a little. "Good night!" And with that, he walked back to his car. I stayed in the door frame, waiting for him to look back. When he did, I waved again. He waved back, a smile on his face, before he got into his car and drove away. I didn't close the front door until his brake lights disappeared from sight.

* * *

Thank you all for your support! Another chapter down! And I know I didn't update on Tuesday like I planned, but I couldn't stay away! I just had to update! Anyways, dearies, I love reading your reviews, so please, keep them coming! The feedback is well-appreciated! And for you Mortal Instruments fans, you all get brownie points for every time you spot a reference to one of the characters :)

And now, to respond to your reviews!

**Insane Dream:** Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

**FutureMrsIan:** Actually, I am planning on writing a sequel where Jace and the other Shadowhunters will have starring roles. You might not like this, but this story will be a Bella/Edward fiction for another four chapters or so. So hang in there!

**Alanna-Banana1987:** Keep reading, and you'll keep finding out :)

**mwjen:** Thank you for reading :)

**2007:** I enjoyed writing that scene a lot, actually. I've been meaning to show that Bella isn't entirely helpless, that she's just feeling very human as of late.

**The smell of blood and sand:** Thanks so much! I'm going to try to keep updating on Tuesdays, but if not, I'll have a new chapter up once a week.

**Sol Swan Cullen**: Edward was a little more angry with himself that he let it progress that far, so he didn't really register how well she had been fighting. And the position she was in when he showed up... Well, it didn't look like she was doing so hot at that point. And it will take a bit, but the scene should *hopefully* be worth it. Bella currently is not wanting to risk any trouble with Clave over whether or not she is allowed to disclose information on being a Nephilim, especially since Edward doesn't seem too knowledgeable on that topic (and right now, Bella's trying to keep it that way).

**tamyyiia**: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

**LadyDV011:** I'm glad that you love it :)

Thank you all so much for the reviews! Keep them coming; they're food for the author's soul! Suggestions, critiques, reviews, anything! I love 'em all!


	5. Golden Girls

I own nothing.

* * *

As we warmed up for Gym class, Angela turned to me and said quietly, "I've seen you sitting with Edward and the other Cullens for quite a while now."

Crossing my arm across my chest to stretch it, I smiled slightly and said, "Yeah, it's pretty regular now." A twinge of guilt hit me when I realized I hadn't sat with Angela at lunch for over a week now. "Sorry if I've been ignoring you," I said, lowering my arm. "I haven't been meaning to, it's just that, well, with Edward and all..."

Angela laughed softly, pulling her ankle back and stretching. "I understand, Bella. You guys have just started dating and you don't want to miss anything. It's fine, you're in love." Her smile was knowing and a little mischievous.

I smiled back, relieved, before adding slyly, "You'd know all about that, especially since you've got Ben." Her face turned red in a millisecond and I laughed. She looked a little horrified, so I leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially: "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." I winked, and she left out a small sigh of relief. "But here's some unsolicited advice: Don't worry about what other people will think. You two are perfect for each other."

Coach Clapp blew his whistle and called for us to start running a warm up lap. This gave me time to ponder a little, seeing as everyone was too out of breath to talk.

Angela and Ben were a perfect couple. Ben was just as bright as Angela, and was chipper and enthusiastic. Angela was calm and inviting and they meshed so well that even Rosalie's thick exterior cracked enough to smile over them. But Angela stood a head taller than Ben, so people talked. They thought they looked too awkward to be a couple. I hoped that they would get together, despite the stupid rumors of high school.

"So what are you doing after school?" Angela asked as we finished jogging.

A smile edged on my face, uninvited and brief. "I'm hanging out with Edward and his family, since they're getting home from camping tonight," I said. The pink on my face wasn't from the brief run, but no one would know. Thank the Angel for Gym class.

Catching my smile, Angela smiled knowingly. "Have fun," she said, moving as Coach Clapp called us together for team sortings. I followed behind, only to be sorted to an entirely different team from Angela. We played all period, and by the end of it, I still didn't understand the point of the game. As we dressed down, Angela did her best to explain it to me. "You're just trying to get the most points," she said as she tugged her normal shirt on. "There's nothing else to it."

"But why not?" I asked, feeling impatient. "Why not do other things beside throw balls at a basket?"

"There are other sports, Bella," Angela said, fighting back a laugh. "You don't have to like basketball, you just have to do it for class."

I grumbled to myself, pulling my clothes on with more force than necessary. "This is so stupid," I complained as we left. Slinging our bags over our shoulders, I walked with Angela towards the parking lot. She merely shook her head and laughed, but I refused to be deterred. "Only a few of us will actually play these games when we're older, so why bother to force us to do them?"

"They want to keep us healthy," Angela told me. "Most kids don't exercise outside of P.E."

I snorted. "I do. I run three miles every night." After the incident in Port Angeles, I had taken up running again, in hopes of at least keeping myself in shape. Charlie was still considering my request for a punching bag.

Angela shook her head and laughed. "Only you, Bella, could say that and be so serious," she said, still smiling as she pulled her hair back in a ponytail. As we separated to go to our cars, Angela called, "I'll see you later, Bella!"

Getting into my monstrosity of a truck, I started up the engine and pulled out of my parking spot. Checking my mirrors, I drove away from the school and began to head towards Edward's house. It was sunny out, and Edward had promised to show me what happened when he went in the sun. I was burning with curiosity, so I pushed my truck as fast as it could go. The trees passed by in a smudge of greens and browns as I pulled into the Cullen's driveway and parked next to Edward's Volvo. No one was outside, so I approached the door and raised my hand to knock. The door was opened by Alice before my knuckles even had a chance to brush the cool wood.

"Hi Bella!" Alice said, grinning as she gestured warmly to me. "Come on in. Edward's up in his room, if you'd like to see him."

"That'd be great," I said, heading up the stairs. I passed Rosalie on the way and gave her a nod and a friendly greeting. She nodded stiffly and continued down the stairs. I jogged a little faster, more pep in my step as I went. That was the most Rosalie had ever acknowleged me. I knocked on Edward's door a few moments later, a smile forming on my face. Entering at his reply, I smiled at him and asked playfully, "How was camping?"

Grinning, Edward patted next to him on the couch he was seated on. "It was good, but Emmett came across some bears." I laughed a little, and Edward smiled his crooked smile. "I myself came across a few mountain lions."

"How were they?" I asked, squirming in my seat to make myself more comfortable.

Edward shrugged. "Good." There was a small lull, before Edward asked, "How was your day?"

I gave a shrug, before tilting my head to look him square in the eye. "You did promise me something today."

Looking a little abashed, Edward nodded reluctantly. "I did. Shall we go, then?" he asked, standing up and holding out his hand to pull me up. I took his hand, and he pulled me upright before leading me out of his room, my hand still held loosely in his. I followed him down the stairs and outside. Turning his head, Edward crouched down and said, "Get on my back."

"What?" I asked, laughing a little. "You want to give me a piggyback ride?"

Edward's face didn't change. "Get on, Bella. We can only get there by walking, and I run faster than you can."

"That's a given," I said as I tentatively climbed onto his back. He adjusted me a little before he said, "You should probably close your eyes."

I nodded, tucking my head against his neck and closing my eyes tightly. I breathed in his cloying scent, forcing my muscles to relax as he charged forward. His gait was smooth and rapid, blowing my hair back and causing the ends to snap at each other like angry snakes. The wind hissed past my ears, growing into a roar as Edward increased his speed. I tightened my arms around his shoulders, screwing my eyes shut tighter as the wind crept across my face. Edward's arms tightened slightly around my legs, almost protectively. When he finally slowed to a stop, he set me down as gently as if I were made of glass. "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice soft with concern.

"Yeah," I said, shaking out my legs a little. "Just a little stiff from holding on so tight." I would have asked if he had been able to breathe well through my stranglehold, but I doubted he was affected much by it. I looked past his shoulder and was met by a beautiful meadow. The grasses were long and green and dotted with wildflowers. Trees surrounded the meadow, giving it a private feeling. I walked around Edward, my mouth opening slightly as I drank in the sight of this meadow. It was like a private garden in Idris. "It's beautiful," I said quietly, my voice dropping in awe. I stepped out in the sunlight, spreading my bare arms and drinking in the warmth from the sun. I spun in a lazy circle, lifting my face upwards and smiling at the clear blue sky. I spun in circle after circle, twining my hair around me. I glanced back towards Edward and clumsily halted my spinning, stepping slightly to the right and wobbling as my hair fell around my neck in messy waves. There, before my eyes, Edward was slowly stepping into the sunlight. The light hit his jeans first, lighting the denim into a brighter blue. After a moment's hesistation, Edward stepped fully into the sunlight. My breath caught in shock as I stared at him. The sunlight broke upon his skin like thousands of rain droplets, arraying him in a glow of rainbows and light fragments. I stared at him in shock as he walked towards me, his golden eyes grave as he took in my facial expressions. I had long years of practice of keeping a straight face, and I think that saved me. Because inside, I was laughing. Edward was sparkling.

"So in the sunlight, you..." My voice trailed off as I tried to think of an appropriate word to describe it.

"We sparkle." Despite the seriousness in his tone, or maybe because of it, I nearly lost my composure.

I reached out to touch his arm, watching as my skin was basked in the afterglow of his skin. When my fingers brushed against the cold flesh of his arm, he surprised me by drawing back his arm.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my hand still outstretched.

"I'm worried I'll hurt you," Edward said, his voice muffled.

"You won't," I said, my voice soothing. "I promise." I reached out again, taking his hand in mine. He didn't resist, and I was encouraged. I wrapped my fingers through his and gently lead him out into the sunlight. He lowered his head against the glare of the sunlight and the gleam of his skin, and I rested my hand against his cold cheek. "You're beautiful, Edward," I whispered to him. "You're a beautiful young man, Edward, who is talented and clever and wonderful, and I think you've been alone for too long."

Edward stared shyly into my eyes, his own glowing with mixed emotions. Slowly he raised his hand and covered mine with it. "I'm not alone anymore," he whispered. He leaned closer, and whispered in my ear, "Don't move." I obediently held still as he leaned close to my neck and took a deep breath. Leaning back, he gave me a lazy smile, stunning in it's triumph. "There. Your scent won't bother me anymore." I tilted my head up to him, and he looked down into my eyes, before he shifted closer. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to move as his cold lips brushed against mine. I fought down a blush, but couldn't keep my hands from tangling into his. His fingers held mine loosely, cautiously, as he slowly pulled away from the kiss. We smiled at each other, before I slipped into his arms. We sank down in the grass together and relaxed in the sun, with my fingers tracing along his arms, watching the sparkles splay onto my skin. We sat like that for hours, until the sun began to sink below the trees and my fingers began to grow cold. Picking me up, Edward ran us back to his house, where we were greeted by an enthusiastic Alice.

"Carlisle is inside his office, Bella. He'd like to officially meet you, outside of the hospital," Alice said, winking at me as she opened the door for us.

Hand in hand with Edward, we walked up the stairs. Following Edward's lead, I followed him to a spacious white walled room with a large wooden desk near a window. Sitting behind the desk, pouring over a book, was Carlisle. Looking up as we entered, Carlisle closed the book and stood up with a smile. "Hello again, Bella," Carlisle said, reaching out to shake my hand. "I'm sorry if I haven't had a chance to welcome you to our home before." His tone was sincere, and I nodded my acceptance. "You're welcome to peruse my library," he said, nodding to the bookshelves lining the room, "but I'm afraid you might find them all a little dry. The majority of them are medical texts, as I tend to bring my work home, so to speak." His smile was wide and I automatically smiled back. Tracing my fingertips along the spines of the books, I drank in the embossed titles. Some were worn and well-used, while others seemed to have been hardly ever opened. A few I took out to examine the covers, while others I passed over. Interest piqued, I pulled out a small tome of the history of rare civilizations. I flipped through the dusty pages, drinking in the stories of worlds, some known to me, while others strange.

"Esme tells me you moved from Arizona, am I correct?" Carlisle asked, tilting his head curiously at me. I nodded, and he asked, "May I ask why you did move?"

My perusal of the book slowed. "I never really knew my father. Actually..." my voice trailed off as I remembered Phil. I could practically smell the scent of steel and his musk in my head. "I never knew Charlie was my actual father. But when I found out, I wanted to meet him. I wanted some closure, you know? Be able to meet my real father."

Carlisle raised an eyebrow, but I forced my focus on the book. Turning the page, I froze in shock. There scrawled across the top of the page, was the word, 'Nephilim.' My eyes automatically drank in all the words, my heart beating a little faster. There were paragraphs about the history of the Nephilim and their duty in this world. Lower there was a paragraph describing trying to describe Idris, but it was pathetic compared to the real beauty of Idris.

"What was your step-father's name?" Carlisle asked, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Philip. Philip Wayland," I told him, my fingers still lingering on the pages about Nephilim.

Carlisle looked thoughtful. "I haven't heard of a name like that in while. In fact, I can't place where I've seen a name like that..."

Under my right hand were the names of a few well-known Shadowhunters, Wayland included. Closing the book, I placed it back on the shelf. "It is an unusual name," I said slowly. "But we lived in an area that was pretty culturally diverse." It was the perfect hiding spot for a family of Nephilim where we had lived.

Carlisle nodded, but the thoughtful look remained in his eyes. "Well," I said, "I think I have to be going. Charlie should be getting hungry soon, and I really don't want to risk him cooking." I smiled a little that. "He's a terrible cook." Holding his hand out to me, Edward took my hand and began to lead me away. "It was nice to see you again, Carlisle."

"Likewise," Carlisle said, seating himself behind his desk once more.

Following Edward down the stairs, I smiled at Alice from across the room. "See you later, Alice."

Hopping up, Alice ran over to me to clasp my hand. Peeping up at me with big topaz eyes, Alice said, "Bella! You're my bestest friend in the world, you know that? You're so amazing that you'd do a big favor for me, right?"

"What do you want, Alice?" I asked, eyeing her nervously.

Widening her smile, Alice said sweetly, "I'd love for you to go shopping with me and Rosalie tomorrow. What do you say?"

I looked thoughtfully at Rosalie, who was pointedly staring at the wall and refusing to meet Alice's or my eyes. "When?" I finally asked.

Alice smile brightened to blinding levels. "Tomorrow, ten o'clock." I nodded, and Alice squealed and dragged me into a hug. "Thank you! See you soon!"

I left, following Edward to my truck. Kissing my cheek, Edward smiled and whispered, "See you tomorrow, love."

. . .

Alice pulled up at exactly ten o'clock. I was waiting on my porch with Charlie, who was calmly cleaning his gun. I waved to Alice, who grinned at me. "Hi Charlie! Hey Bella, you ready to go?" she called from the passenger window.

"Yeah," I called back. Turning to Charlie, I squeezed his shoulder and said quietly, "See you by dinner time, Dad."

"Have fun, Bella," Charlie said. "Be safe out there."

"I will," I said, making my way over to Rosalie's BMW M3.

Climbing into Rosalie's car and gently shutting the door, I flashed them a smile and said, "Thanks for taking me shopping with you."

"No problem," Alice said, turning to smile at me.

"Your dad seems nice," Rosalie said, peeking at Charlie in the rearview mirror.

I took a look over my shoulder to where Charlie was still waiting on the front porch. "Yeah, he's great," I said slowly. "Sometimes I wish I could have met him sooner."

"You never knew him, huh?" Rosalie asked, her eyes now on the road. "So did you think that your step-father was your real father, then?"

I stared out the window. "Yeah. He was a great father to me, though. He raised me as if I was his own, and I've always thought of him as my father..." I let the sentence drop as my throat closed. I closed my eyes tightly, willing away the tears that were welling up. Nothing could take away the sting of being torn from my family, not even Edward.

Rosalie didn't press me, and Alice started a rant about the new fashions that have been arising. When we reached the mall, Alice dragged Rosalie and me off to various stores with price tags that made my head spin. Hours slid by, with Alice bursting with excitement and Rosalie calmly following along. Rosalie and I stopped by a small cafe while Alice bought some clothes for herself. I ordered myself a latte while Rosalie waved away the waitress. As I sipped at my drink, Rosalie looked at me and said coolly, "So you and Edward have been pretty close lately." Peering up at her over my coffee cup, I nodded slowly. "I want to talk to you about something," Rosalie said.

"All right, shoot," I said.

"I know you like my brother, but I don't want you to make a mistake." I raised my eyebrows, and Rosalie continued. "Despite whatever you might think, being like us isn't wonderful. We're frozen forever, and I don't want that to happen to you too. You can't age, you can't grow old together, you can't have a family..." The pain at the last statement was raw in Rosalie's voice. "I don't want you being damned to the same fate I am."

I was silent for a moment, toying with my coffee cup. "I don't plan on becoming like you, Rosalie," I said finally. "That's not something I think I could do."

Rosalie's shoulders relaxed. "Good," she said firmly. "It's not something people should take lightly."

I snorted a little. "Eternity is never something to take lightly," I said, finishing off my coffee.

"And neither is love," Rosalie added, giving me a stern look. "Or being pure."

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "Trust me, I've had that talk too many times to even think about anything. My dad might be a cop, but he's got nothing on Phil. Phil nearly skinned Alec alive when he came to pick me up, and Alec isn't interested in my type."

Rosalie looked at me, glancing over me. "What is his type?" she asked.

I grinned and leaned closer. "Not girls, I'll tell you that." Rosalie stared at me for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

"You're kidding!" she said, still giggling. "Your step-dad almost killed your gay friend because he picked you up? For what?"

"To go to a friend's house," I said, tossing the cup into the garbage can. "Phil is pretty protective though."

"For good reason," she said, her eyes glowing. "Men aren't to be trusted, especially with a young girl like you."

I looked at Rosalie, picking up on what she meant. "No, they're not," I said after a while. "But I'm guessing you all ready knew that." Rosalie nodded.

There was a patter of high heels on linoleum as Alice ran towards us, grinning from ear to ear. "I just got the cutest lingerie!" she gushed.

"Thanks for the mental image Alice," I said, grimacing.

"Save it for Jazz, Ali," Rosalie said, getting up. I got up as well and followed Rosalie, picking up my bag of a few meager things I had bought. "Where are we headed?" I asked Rosalie.

"I need to get something from the bookstore. Will you come with, Bella?" Rosalie asked, surprising me.

"Sure," I said, a little taken aback.

"I'll take the bags to the car," Alice offered, scooping up the bags.

Rosalie nodded and whisked away, leaving me to hurry off in her wake. I followed her into the bookstore, where she headed straight to the classics section. "What do you recommend, Bella?" Rosalie asked, piercing me with a look.

"Well, my favorite is Wuthering Heights, but I'm also a fan of Crime and Punishment," I said, tapping my chin. "It depends if you like murder stories or not."

"I'm not a fan of murder," Rosalie said.

"Then Wuthering Heights it is." Leading her down the aisle, I pointed to a cluster of books. Tucked away in a corner, my heart nearly stopped as I spotted a version that contained notes from the original. "I don't believe it," I said with a gasp, snatching up the book. "I've never read this version!" I checked the back cover and winced at the price. "Thirty dollars, damn." I said, running my fingers along the spine of the book.

"Too much?" Rosalie asked, gently taking the book from my hands.

"Yeah, that's more than I've got on me," I said, eyeing the book wistfully. There was a silence, before I moved down the aisle to peruse the works of Shakespeare. As I debated over whether or not I should spend my last ten dollars on a small book of Romeo and Juliet, Rosalie appeared at my side.

"We should get going," she said, startling me. "Alice just called and she's getting a bit impatient."

We left the book store in a hurry, only to find the car outside the bookstore and Alice in the driver's seat. "Get out," Rosalie said, her voice a growl. "Only I can drive my baby."

Alice complied and I hopped in. We chattered all the way home, until Rosalie parked in front of my house. Getting out, she grabbed my bags from the trunk and said, "I'll help you with your bags." Surprised, but grateful, I opened the front door for her and lead her up to my room, where she laid the bags on my bed.

"Thanks for taking me today," I said, putting my coat over my rocking chair.

"You're welcome," Rosalie said. There was a short silence, before she added softly, "I'm glad to see you dating my brother. You make him happier than he's been for a very long time."

"I'm just glad I found a guy like him," I said, feeling a little shell-shocked at how open Rosalie was being.

"Just don't break his heart," Rosalie said, before leaving.

I made Charlie dinner, where we talked about my day and how he went fishing. After cleaning up the dishes, I went up to my room to put away my new things. At the bottom of the bag, tucked away in another, smaller bag, was the copy of Wuthering Heights I had pointed out to Rosalie. Written on the receipt peeking out from the top of the book, in an elegant script, were the words, 'Welcome to the family.'

* * *

Another chapter down, and still on a Tuesday! (At least, where I live). Sorry it's shorter than the others, but this chapter was meant to be a bit of a transition chapter. Please enjoy and Read and review, luvvies!

**Sol Swan Cullen:** Bella is a bit reluctant to play, but yes, she did play with Jace. They're actually quite good friends, but that'll be revealed much later. And Alice likes to tease, but then again, don't all sisters?

**Ms. Cloud Strife:** For the most part, Jace will not be a big role in this story. I will write a sequel, however, with Jace playing a major role, so hang on til then!

**tamyyiia:** You never know ;) Carlisle might figure it out.

**Alanna-Banana1987:** Thanks! I think Bella's always a bit sad to think about her past, but it's such a big part of her that I can't leave it out!

**.:** Bella's getting there. :) And it is sad, but that's poor Bella's reality.

Thanks so much my dear readers!


	6. Hunting the Hunter

I own nothing.

* * *

A booming voice calling my name in the halls made me stop and wheel around. Behind me, Emmett was waving and grinning broadly at me. He gestured for me to come over, his muscular arm narrowly missing a timid looking freshman. I walked towards him, biting down a smile. Despite his size, Emmett had never really scared me. He was amused by my 'human-ness' and I was amused by his childlike personality. Weaving through the crowds, I stopped just short of Emmett and craned my neck to look up into his face. "Yes, Emmett?" I asked, a smile growing on my face.

Emmett grinned before cupping his hand around my ear and bending down to whisper: "Tonight, seven o'clock, our house. Don't be late." There was a pause, and Emmett added, "Keep it secret. Keep it safe."

Nodding solemnly, I mimed zipping my lips before giving him a farewell wave and skipping off to Biology. I entered the class, where Edward was casually leaning in his seat, staring intently out the window at the gray skies outside the window. He turned as I approached, smiling beatifically at me and welcoming me in his silky tenor; "Hello, Bella."

I waved, remembering my still zipped lips. Edward's eyebrow raised as I maintained my silence, but I could only smile innocently. "Why aren't you talking to me, Bella?"

I mimed zipping my lips, but Edward's confused expression remained. I sighed, tugging on a strand of my hair in frustration. _How to explain to a vampire that you promised to keep something secret for his brother, no matter how silly it was...?_

Luckily, Mr. Banner put in a movie about the miracle of mitosis. Within seconds, Edward was sliding a note to me, written in elegant script: _**'**_ _**Why aren't you speaking to me, Bella? '**_

I tapped my pen to my lips, thinking of a ridiculous excuse. _**' I had a terrifying dream that I was drowning in an ocean of pudding last night and that I couldn't scream to alert anyone to save me. When I woke up, my voice was gone. '**_

Edward's eyes widened, he scribbled frantically and then he was pushing the piece of paper back at me. _**' Really? '**_

I grinned mischievously at him before writing back. _**' No. '**_

Edward scowled at me, writing slowly and emphatically. _**' Then why are you not speaking to me? '**_

I gave him a coy, dazzling smile, before slowly and shyly handing him back the note with the words: _**' Ask Emmett at lunch, '**_ written on it.

His face a look of sheer grumpiness, I stifled a laugh as he settled down into his chair, hunched his shoulders and actually sulked. He tapped his foot impatiently on the floor, his brows furrowed as he stared moodily out the window. I doodled on the note, adding a goofy drawing of an angry Edward sulking out the window. I added Emmett as a ballerina on the other side of the window, complete with ribbons and faux fairy wings. Tuning out the movie entirely, I draw Alice as Tinkerbelle and Jasper as an unhappy looking Peter Pan. Rosalie was an agent in sunglasses watching Emmett dance, scribbling notes on her clipboard while talking on her cell phone. Smiling broadly now, I added a picture of me as the lights crew, messing with the equipment and unknowingly knocking a light off the stand.

Something shifted by my shoulder, and I found Edward peeking over my shoulder at the drawing. His expression changed from sulky to amused and then straight to slight bafflement. The bell rang, making everyone leap up except Edward, who was still studying my picture. Unable to resist, I tapped him lightly on the nose with the tip of my index finger. He looked up and I kissed his lips lightly. He looked dazed for a second, so I seized the opportunity to gather my things quickly and to hop up and dart for the door. Edward was at my side in a second, his face still faintly confused as I grinned up at him and took his hand, dragging him down the halls to the cafeteria. I grabbed some food from the lunch line, while Edward followed close behind, his expression focused as he stared at Emmett. Emmett was making faces back at Edward. I skipped over to their lunch table, nearly dropping an apple from my tray in the process. Edward deftly caught it out of the air, before placing it on my tray again.

Setting my tray down and seating myself in between Edward and Emmett, I jabbed my thumb towards Emmett and gave Edward a nod. Seeming to understand, Edward leaned forward to hiss at Emmett, "Why isn't Bella talking to me?"

Emmett's face split into a grin and he whispered back to Edward, "Maybe because she's afraid of your bad hair day?" Involuntarily Edward looked up at his messy hair, but I shook my head and frowned at Emmett. I mimed zipping my lips and he grinned and nodded at me. "Oh! Nah, she's just keeping a secret for me."

Edward's hands twitched on the table. "What secret?" His voice is sharp and skittish, like ice on pavement.

Emmett winked and tapped the side of his nose knowingly and Edward nearly cracked. His eyes were nearly black as he gave Emmett a glare of the purest loathing. "What secret?" he said, and his was something out of hell.

Unflinching, Emmett crossed his arms and said, "You're not allowed to know. You're not in the Fellowship." I let out a snort of laughter, and Emmett grins.

Closing his eyes, Edward massaged his temples and asked slowly, his voice biting, "If I join this_ Fellowship_, can I know why?"

"Of course," Emmett said graciously, taking my apple and holding it away from me. I stretched as far as I could, my fingertips barely brushing the smooth skin of the apple. Across the table, Jasper grabbed the apple from Emmett's hands and gave it back to me. Nodding at Jasper in appreciation, I took a defiant bite out of the apple and glowered at Emmett. "Easy now, little hobbit," he said, and I kicked his foot under the table. It hurt my toe.

"I'll join," Edward said, his eyes going steadily darker.

"Great! You'll be Boromir, I'll be Aragorn and Bella will be Frodo," Emmett said, grinning from ear to ear.

"What's the secret?" Edward asked and I could tell his patience was about to break.

Leaning close, Emmett beckoned for Edward to lean close. "Tonight, our house, seven o'clock." Winking, Emmett added, "Keep it secret. Keep it safe."

His hands beginning to shake, Edward asked slowly, "You told her the time when we were playing baseball tonight?" Emmett nodded, still smiling blithely. "So why isn't she talking?"

"I'd imagine it's because she zipped her lips," Emmett said sagely, looking at me thoughtfully. Putting his fingertips close to my lips, Emmett slowly pretended to unzip my lips.

"Exactly right, Emmett," I said, taking another bite of my apple. Swallowing, I nodded to Edward. "He's pretty wise, you know." Giving him a thoughtful look, I asked, "Are you sure you're not Gandalf?"

"That's Carlisle," Emmett told me, shaking his head slightly.

Getting up suddenly, Edward stalked out of the door. "I can't stand this," he muttered, leaving the cafeteria.

Alarmed, I stared after Edward. "Did I do something?" I asked, a feeling of unease coiling in my stomach.

Jasper shook his head. "No, he's just mad that he got so worked up over something so innocent." Face deadpan, Jasper asked solemnly, "So Emmett, who would I be?"

"Legolas," Emmett and I said at the same time. Jasper laughed.

. . .

Standing on the front porch of Edward's house at exactly seven o'clock, I knocked on the door and waited patiently. There was a chaotic eruption of noise from within, muffled by the door. Footsteps and shouts and the door was flung open by Emmett, who was smiling at me. "Come, little hobbit! Let us flee from the Ringwraiths!"

Scurrying inside, I winked at Emmett and said, "Sure thing, Strider." Glancing around, I frowned at the distinct lack of Edward. "Where's Edward?"

"Tied up at the moment," Emmett said, adjusting his rumpled striped shirt. At a second glance, I realized that it was a baseball uniform.

"Figuratively or literally?" I asked, still eyeing the uniform.

There was a thump and a muffled yell from somewhere upstairs, all but answering my question. "Literally," Emmett admitted, but the smile still lingered on his face.

Jasper's voice floated down from upstairs; "Emmett! Untie Edward before he destroys something!"

Saluting to me, Emmett pardoned himself with a chipper, "Duty calls!" before running up the stairs.

It was silent for about thirty seconds, until a loud series of crashes made me wince. There was a rumble of voices before someone stomped down the stairs. His uniform rumpled and his hair a wild mess, Edward gave me a wan smile as he approached me. "Hello Bella," he said, his voice a little rough from the leftover shadows in his eyes.

Leaning on my tiptoes to kiss him lightly, I greeted him, my voice soft and warm, "Hello love." His lips curved into a smile as they met mine and when I pulled away, his eyes were the color of the sun.

"Ready to play ball?" Alice's voice interrupted us, her spiky hair half-covered by a baseball cap.

"Of course," Edward said, wrapping his arm around me and leading me out the door. We got into his car with Carlisle and Esme, both of whom graciously seated themselves in the back seats.

I glanced out the window at the steadily darkening sky. "Are you guys going to be all right? The weather reports said something about thunder storms."

Behind me, Esme gave a pretty laugh. "Oh Bella dear, that's why we're playing now."

"Vampires are incredibly strong, so when we hit the ball, it makes a lot of sound," Edward explained after catching a glimpse of my still-baffled expression. "This way, any sound will be dismissed as thunder."

I nodded slowly. "That makes sense," I said slowly.

We drove for a while, with my hand capturing Edward's right hand whenever he didn't have to shift gears. There was a secluded drive, where Edward pulled onto and drove towards what looked like Emmett's Jeep and Alice's sleek car. When we arrived, Edward exited the car and was immediately opening my door. "I'll have to carry you," he said, his eyes tender as he took my hands in his.

I smiled at him. "All right," I said and he smiled. I climbed onto his back, adjusted my grip and closed my eyes. We were off, with the rain-heavy wind whipping across my face and making me scrunch my nose up.

When Edward stopped, I was grateful. Despite Edward's best efforts, his running wasn't perfectly smooth. Besides, I preferred running myself along at those speeds, but I couldn't do that, not without the Runes.

Standing in the middle of a clearing was a rough baseball diamond, complete with bases and benches. Tossing a ball in her hand, Alice grinned at us as we approached. "Ready to play ball?" she asked, her smile becoming shark-like.

Esme's hand was a feather on my shoulder as she smiled to me and said quietly, "I'll be acting as the umpire, if you'd like to sit out with me."

I smiled and nodded at Esme before I seated myself on the bench as close to the field as I could.

I had never seen much of baseball and I had never really had an interest in the game. But Edward's family played it at such high speeds that I was constantly having to watch every minute movement, knowing it would be important in a few moments. Not to mention the way that they razzed each other over everything, but Esme said they were behaving for me. I didn't want to think about what Emmett was like without supervision.

Towards the end of the seventh inning, Alice stiffened and Edward let out a low hiss. The Cullen family became a tight knit circle around Alice, who was talking very fast and very low. Within seconds, they were around me, tense and alert.

"Let down your hair, sweetie," Edward said, putting his arm around me.

I shook it out of it's ponytail, looking at their tense faces in confusion. "What's going on?" I asked, my heart rate accelerating slightly.

A wave of calm shot through me and I looked at Jasper, my eyebrows raising and then furrowing in confusion. "Nomadic vampires will be coming here soon," Alice said, her brow furrowed as she seemed to focus. "We can't get out of here quick enough, so we're going to invite them over while Edward takes you home."

"Sounds good to me," I murmured, shifting closer to Edward's side. For the first time since the incident with Tyler and his van, fear was pumping through my veins; cold and potent. I intertwined my fingers with Edward, willing Jasper to calm me down. _If only I had my knives, or even my stele._ Calm washed over me, warm and reassuring, and I smiled gratefully at Jasper.

Watching the edge of the clearing, I was silent as three people stepped out from the shadows. My skin prickled instantly, alerting me to a well-known danger. There were two males; one with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and one with olive skin and a wild mess of thick curls. The woman pacing on their right was pale with flaming red hair, but all three had burning red eyes. _Feral._

"Good evening," Carlisle said, stepping forward and greeting the other vampires with a charming smile. "What brings you to this area?"

The dark skinned vampire smiled back at Carlisle. "We were traveling and we came across your scent and were simply curious to see what kind of coven lived here."

Carlisle's smile was cool. "Of course. Would you care to accompany us to our home?"

"We were hoping for a game," the dark skinned one said, glancing quickly at the blonde man. My eyes narrowed as my attention shifted to the blonde one. His stance was cool and calm, but there was an electric aura around him.

"Where are my manners?" Carlisle was saying. "My name is Carlisle and this is my wife, Esme. This is Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, Edward and Bella."

The dark skinned man inclined his head to each of us as we were introduced. "This is James and Victoria. I am Laurent." It might have come across as arrogance when Laurent introduced himself last, but I knew this trick all too well. I watched the way the others watched James, the way they leaned ever so slightly towards him, like moons in orbit. He was in charge, but he wanted to present it as if Laurent was. My skin broke out into goosebumps and I forced myself to stay relaxed. I couldn't chance to bring attention to myself, not with these feral vampires so close by. I squeezed Edward's hand hard, hoping to convey my discomfort with that movement.

He shifted towards me; one quick glance at his ever blackening eyes told me that he was just as uneasy. Carlisle was skillfully directing his guests attention away from me as he slowly began to guide them towards his house. "Emmett and I will take you to your home, if you would like. The others will drive," Carlisle was saying.

As we began to walk, a clap of thunder sounded, bringing a gust of wind that rocked the tops of the trees. Downwind, James stiffened, his body crouching as he turned towards me. His red eyes gleamed and I had to forcibly stiffen my body to prevent it from going into a challenging stance. Edward growled and placed himself in front of me. James' lips twisted into a dangerous smile, and in that instant I knew that this was turning into the worst possible scenario.

"I didn't know you brought a snack," James said, his voice low and gravelly.

"She's not to eat," Edward said with a snarl.

Laurent looked surprised. "Then what is she?"

"She's Edward's mate," Carlisle said shortly, a frown deepening on his face. "And this area is our territory. We occupy this area; we are not merely nomads. We would prefer that you do not hunt here and that definitely includes Bella."

"Of course," Laurent said, cutting off James and Victoria. "Why don't we discuss this at your home?"

Edward didn't leave my side as Laurent tried to lead James and Victoria. Once they were out of sight, Edward was running me off to his car as fast as he could go, bridal style. I only had a chance to squeeze my eyes shut as he ran, tucking my face against his shoulder. We were at the cars within a minute, with Alice appearing as Edward buckled me into Emmett's Jeep. We were off, the forest a screaming blur as Edward pushed the Jeep as fast as he could. There was a thump and I let out a strangled yelp of fear. "It's just Emmett, Bella," Alice said, rubbing reassuring circles on my back.

"What's going to happen?" I asked, my voice shakier than I would have liked it to be.

"We're getting you out of here," Edward said, his voice low and angry. "There is no way you're staying where that sadist can hunt you."

"Where to?" I asked, my voice nearly drowned out by the roar of the Jeep's engine.

"As far as we can go," Edward answered, his voice dark and low.

I was silent for a time. My head was spinning, and when it began to slow down, my confusion was replaced with a blistering rage. I was angry that this _James_ was trying to kill me, just because he liked the hunt and because I smelled good. I was angry that it was upsetting Edward and the Cullens so much. I was angry that it was going to throw everything off and put everyone at risk. Most of all, I was furious that I couldn't do a thing to stop it. I was banished, forbidden to take up my Seraph blade and stele even if it were to defend myself. Such a thing would risk me being imprisoned by the Clave, or even killed. This helplessness was a disgusting feeling inside of me, making bile rise in my throat as I had to face how pathetically weak I was now. My blood was inwardly boiling, but my mind was cold with fear. How do you overcome your fears if they are so well-reasoned? I had to out-reason fear.

I ran my hands through my hair, tugging on the tangled ends hard enough to make my head ache. The pain distracted from the nauseous stirrings of fear in my belly enough to allow me to think. We could fake me running to Arizona, where I would be pretending to stay near my mother. But James would anticipate this: It was the oldest trick in the book. He'd expect me to run to a safe haven of the Cullen's and track my scent from theirs.

An idea occurred to me. Would he expect me to actually go through with it? I wouldn't even expect my enemy to go where they obviously announced they were going. I'd look for some other place where they'd most likely go. It was brilliant.

Hope rose before a realization shot it down. I couldn't go to my mother. She'd recognize the Cullens for what they were and would want to keep me away from them. And when she learned that I was actually in danger, she'd risk revealing my-_our_- secret by going to hunt James herself. I wouldn't be able to convince her to spare James and it was the same for Edward.

I pressed my knuckles into my forehead, hissing under my breath as I tried to think this through. I willed myself to remember anything that could help. Before I left, my mother had talked about visiting her friends in New York, the Lightwoods. They would understand the ache of banishment and be a source of comfort to her. But when did she say she was going to visit them? Sometime around now, but I wasn't sure. _Was it worth the risk?_ I glanced at Edward, taking in his pitch black eyes and his white knuckles as they clenched the steering wheel. There was no doubt in my mind.

"I have an idea," I announced, making Edward's eyes flicker to me. Behind me, I heard the seat creak as Alice leaned forward.

"Edward, you'll take me home." Edward began to protest, but I hushed him. "We'll stage a fight, a break-up, and I'll tell Charlie I can't stand to stay here, not where I'm so miserable. I'll tell him I need a chance to clear my head, to think. I'll tell him I'm going back to visit my mom. Meanwhile, you'll pack some of my things and head to my truck, and I'll run out to my truck and drive away. You lead James away, while I trade clothes with either Alice, Esme or Rosalie. They run off, leaving my scent for James to follow. I head to Arizona with someone, where I lay low at my mother's until I get the okay to come back from one of you."

The truck was silent, before Edward shook his head and said flatly, "It won't work. James will hear you talking about it and follow you to Arizona."

"No, he won't," I argued. "He'll expect me to be taken away by you and hidden away. That's why you'll take someone wearing my clothes so my scent will stay with you and convince him that I'm with you. When he catches up with you, he'll be surprised when I'm not there and you can take him out."

"I won't be going with you?" Edward's voice was sharp with surprise and hurt.

I shook my head, my voice growing more gentle. "He'll follow you because he won't expect you to separate from me. It's what will convince him the most."

"Who then?" Edward asked, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. Then he growled and said angrily, "No, Alice!"

"Jasper and I could take you," Alice said, ignoring Edward's outburst. "I could foresee any possible dangers. Jasper is a disciplined fighter that could probably handle James in a one-on-one fight."

Edward was shaking his head. I placed my hand on his arm tenderly, willing him to meet my eyes. "Please, Edward. It's our safest bet."

There was a silence, before Edward tersely nodded. Alice called Rosalie to trade cars (since she had taken Edward's Volvo) and called Jasper to update him on the plan. We traded cars, before I drove Edward and myself home in my truck (which Esme had brought for me).

As I pulled up into my driveway, I whispered to Edward: "Don't listen to anything I say. Just pack what you think I'll need and wait in my room. Don't let Charlie see you." Edward nodded and I jumped out, slamming my door.

Running into the house, I burst inside and slammed the door, running upstairs as noisily as I could. Concentrating hard, I let out my anger in a stream of tears.

"Is something wrong, Bella?" Charlie was calling to me, his worried silhouette by the foot of the stairs.

Stomping from my room to the top, I nearly shouted back, "Everything is!"

"Did Edward hurt you?" Charlie's voice was sharp with fear and edged with anger.

"We broke up!" I shouted, tugging at my hair in frustration. "That, that bastard was cheating on me! With Lauren Mallory!" I let out a half-strangled, mad sounding laugh. "I can't believe it!" I stomped down the stairs to retrieve a suitcase from the closet.

"Are you going somewhere?" Charlie, unmoving by the foot of the stairs, watched me with a frozen look of paternal sympathy and fear.

"Yeah," I said, dragging my suitcase up to my room and dumping it on my bed. Clothes were laid out on the sides, a sign that Edward had been up here. Coming back out, I looked at Charlie, allowing my vision to become blurred with tears. "I'm going to visit Mom."

There was no answer, so I further expounded my leave-taking. "I can't stand to be here, especially with what just happened. Such a small town, and someone's bound to find out. I couldn't take the rumors and the whispers as everyone pities poor little Bella Swan, the girl stupid enough to get left by the upstanding son of the famous doctor." My laugh was bitter enough to convince even me.

Charlie's face closed, and I felt a stab of pain. My father didn't deserve to have his heart broken by his daughter. "I've loved living with you, Dad," I said, resting my hand on the banister. "But right now, I can't stay. I just need to stay for a while with Mom until things clear up. A vacation to clear my head. I'll be back after that, I promise." I slowly descended the staircase as I talked until I was facing my father. "Please, Dad. Please understand." The tears were falling faster now, but the anger had died in them.

For a minute, I thought Charlie wasn't going to deign to reply. But finally, he said quietly, "Do you want me to buy you a ticket?"

I hugged him gently, resting my cheek on his shoulder and taking a last breath of his scent of musk and woodsmoke. "I can afford it," I said finally, my voice still thick with tears. "Renee gave me money in case of an emergency and it should easily cover a two way ticket."

Charlie nodded and returned my hug with a tenderness that made my heart ache. Pressing my face into his shoulder, I silently vowed that I would return, no matter what. I wasn't going to lose another family.

Before I could change my mind, I was throwing my things into my suitcase. Edward helped silently, his face unreadable. "Go," I hissed at him. "Get in the truck. I'm almost done here." He nodded, before disappearing out my window. The moment he was gone, I quickly checked under my floorboards for my weapons. My fingers itched and I reached out to grasp them, before schooling myself to pull away and leave them. I'd be back for them soon enough, and if all went well, I wouldn't need them.

Soon enough, I was dragging my suitcase down the stairs and loading it into my truck. I hugged Charlie goodbye one last time with another promise that I would return before I hopped into my truck and began to drive away. Sitting up from his hidden position by the floor, Edward said quietly, "You're being very brave, Bella."

I didn't answer for a moment as I drove towards Edward's house. I wasn't in the mood to talk of bravery, especially now that I was leaving Charlie unprotected and unwarned. "Did you call ahead to tell the others of the plan?" I asked finally.

"Yes. Rosalie and Esme will both trade clothes with you. Alice is going to drive you to Phoenix instead of buying a ticket," Edward said, sitting in the seat now and buckling himself in.

I nodded slowly. "That'll convince James even more that I'm with you." Silence reigned, before I dared to ask quietly, "Edward... Will Charlie forgive me?"

Edward looked surprised. "For what?"

"Leaving like this," I said, staring intently at the road. "It's bound to remind him of my mom."

Edward was silent as he thought. "His thoughts were sad, but he understood. He wants the best for you, if nothing else." Edward winced a little. "I can't say the same thing for me, though. He hates my guts right now."

I laughed weakly. "I was a little too convincing in my performance, I take it."

"No, you were perfect." Edward's lips were cool against my forehead.

We arrived at his house in record time, where I was rushed out of the car to Alice's room, where I was dressed in Alice's clothes and mine were given to Rosalie and Esme.

The moment I was dressed, Alice shoved me in her car next to her and we took off, with Jasper driving. I didn't have a chance to even kiss Edward goodbye, for fear of scent contamination. His eyes followed us, sad and stained red as Alice's brake lights flashed. The house soon disappeared around the bend as the tires hit the pavement.

I slumped against my seat, drained. Guilt surged in me as feelings of self-abasement flooded me. _If I was still a Nephilim, I wouldn't have to worry about James. He would have been dead in the field the moment he threatened me. If I hadn't been banished from the Clave for reasons beyond my control, then I would have never had to worry about being helpless. If I had never been banished, I would have never had this issue. If I were still in Phoenix with my mother, I wouldn't be in this situation. James would have never found me, the Cullen family wouldn't have to be sacrificing everything to help me, Charlie would have been left to live his life in peace and I would be with my mother again._

"Stop," Jasper said from the driver's seat, his voice harsh and commanding. "It's not your fault, Bella. Don't worry about us so much, we'll be fine." The doubt still wormed in my mind and he added in a softer voice, "You're worth the trouble, Bella. Edward would do anything for you and so would we. It'll turn out fine, Bella."

I nodded, toying with my hair. I just wanted to be free from the stress, even for a short while. "Jasper," I finally said, working up the nerve. "Can you make me fall asleep?"

There was a pause, before a wave of exhaustion washed over me. My head drooped, my body went limp and my head rested against Alice's cool shoulder. "Thank you," I mumbled, my mouth slow from sleep. And then I knew nothing.

. . .

When I woke up, it was late afternoon. The sunlight burned bright through the windows, making me wonder why I hadn't woken up earlier. "What did I miss?" I asked, my voice a little fuzzy. My cheek was cold from where it had been pressed against Alice's shoulder and my neck was a bit stiff.

"We're nearly outside Phoenix," Jasper said from up front. "We'll be there by night fall, where we can rent a hotel room. We'll stay there until we receive news from Edward."

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"All day," Alice answered. I looked outside, surprised.

"We made it this far this fast?" I asked, astonished.

Alice grinned and tapped her forehead. "Psychic vampire. You'll never get caught for speeding with me around."

I nodded, stretching slowly to work out the stiffness. We reached Phoenix soon after the sun went down. We pulled up to a hotel; Alice and I got out while Jasper went to check out a room. I lifted my face and breathed in the Arizona air. The air was still warm and dry, promising a brisk night. Lights were beginning to flicker on as Jasper lead us to our new room. There were two queen sized beds, one of which Jasper set my suitcase down on. Jasper set down a second bag that contained Alice and Jasper's things. Alice whipped out her cell phone to call Edward and began to talk rapidly. I laid down on the bed, still tired from my forced rest in the car.

Alice appeared in my vision, handing me the cell phone. Raising it to my ear, I said quietly, "Hello?"

"Bella." Even through the faint crackle of the phone lines, I recognized Edward's voice instantly. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I said, curling my body into a ball around the phone. "How are things going with you?"

"Bad." I could hear the annoyance in Edward's voice. "James slipped away. I don't know how, but he saw through our plan. We think he's heading to Phoenix now, but we're not sure. It's our best bet." Edward sighed heavily, the sound plucking at my heart. "Bella, I want you to stay with Jasper and Alice, no matter what."

I nodded, before I remembered to speak. "All right Edward. Stay safe," I added, worry gnawing at my heart.

"You too, love." The phone didn't do Edward's voice justice. "I'll be flying to Phoenix as soon as I board this plane. I'll be there by tomorrow before you know it." I murmured an assent, and Edward asked to talk to his sister again.

I handed her the phone, before laying back down on the bed. They spoke, and Alice hung up. An idea struck me, doubled by the horrible realization that _James_ was coming _here_. With the possibility that my demon-slaying mother was in town. "Alice," I said, sitting bolt upright. "Can I borrow your phone? I want to call my mom."

Alice handed the phone to me without a word, and I took the phone to the bathroom. Closing the door and seating myself on the counter, I called my mom's home phone. It rang six times before going to the answering machine. I breathed a sigh of relief as the message played. After the beep, I lowered my voice and began to talk. "Hi Mom, it's Bella. I'm just calling to say that I'm here in Phoenix with my _boyfriend's siblings _from Forks." I left careful emphasis on who I was with, to warn her that she had to stay incognito. "I needed a break from Forks for a little while, just to clear my head and get a new take on things. _I needed to get away from_ _people_, you know?" This was a long-standing code line between us. It told the other one that there was something going on, but they were needed to lay low. "Call me back when you get this message, please. I love you, Mom." Hanging up, I closed the phone and went to return it to Alice.

She was seated on the floor, intently sketching on a spare piece of paper. Her eyes were far away, and I guessed that she was having a vision. Alice was drawing an empty room with mirrors and hardwood flooring. I recognized it the moment I saw it. "There should be a phone here," I said, pointing to a wall.

Alice looked at me, startled. "You've seen this place before?" she asked, her gold eyes sharp.

I nodded. "I took ballet classes here when I was a little girl." I had begged Renee for months after I saw Isabelle dancing in New York, driven by jealousy and a desire to be like the beautiful girl.

Alice's phone rang and I recognized Renee's number. "Hang on," I said, going back to the bathroom. "Hello?"

"Bella?" My mom's voice sounded panicked. "Bella? Where are you?"

"Calm down, Mom," I said, lowering my voice.

"Well-spoken, Bella." A man purred into the phone. James.

"What do you want?" I asked, dropping my voice to a whisper.

The phone line crackled a little. "I want to meet you, face to face. At the ballet studio of your charming childhood by afternoon. Come if you want to see your mother alive again." There was another chorus of my name, panicked, in my mother's voice.

I froze. My mother never sounded afraid. Not even when she was facing a Greater Demon or the High Inquisitor. It was a trap. My mind spun as it ticked away at what to do. James would come find me, no matter what, at any cost. I couldn't let him know that I didn't believe him; I didn't want to risk his tactics becoming more desperate.

"All right," I said, thinking hard.

"Come alone. If I get so much as a suspicion that you brought reinforcements, I'll kill your mother." I mumbled an agreement, and James laughed softly into the phone. "See you soon. Say goodbye to your mom."

"Bye mom," I said, hanging up the phone.

Jasper and Alice looked up, expectant. I debated telling them the truth, before I admitted, "That was James."

Alice and Jasper both jumped up. "What does he want?" Alice demanded.

"He says he has my mom and that he wants to meet me at that ballet studio tomorrow afternoon. If I'm not alone, he'll kill my mother," I repeated, handing my phone to Alice. My voice was flat and suppressed.

Alice and Jasper looked at each other, stymied. "What should we do?" Alice asked Jasper softly.

"I'll go alone," I said. They both began to protest, but I held up my hands. "Listen. He'll kill my mom if you burst in there. If I go alone, there'll be a chance he might let her go. If not, I can distract him long enough for you guys to get there and rescue us."

Alice still opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off and appealed to Jasper. "It'll throw him off his guard. He wouldn't expect me to do something like this. I doubt he thinks a human can be this devious. I'll play bait; it's the perfect trap."

Jasper looked thoughtful. "If we moved fast enough, he wouldn't suspect a thing."

"It's agreed, then," I said, my jaw jutting stubbornly. "The hunter will become the hunted."

. . .

At the airport to pick up Edward, I 'evaded' Jasper and hailed a taxi, where I rode to the old ballet studio. During the ride, I worked myself up into an anxious frenzy. Tossing the cab driver the fare, I ran as fast as I could to the studio. Slowing at the door, I shoved it open and entered. My mother's voice called my name and I ran towards the sound. I stupidly called her name, allowing fear to coat my voice. In a corner, I found a home video of my mother searching for me, when I had fallen off a make-shift stage when I was six. Clever.

"Hello, Bella," James purred from behind me.

I whipped around, letting my pulse race. "What did you do to my mother?" I demanded, feigning to search for her.

James laughed, low and bold as he approached me. His torn jacket revealed his lean frame, and up close, I noticed that he had a ruggedly handsome look about him. "Silly Bella, didn't you realize that this was a trap?"

I let myself slump, my face showing nothing but bitter defeat and confusion. James laughed again, padding towards me, his blonde ponytail rustling over his shoulders like a cat's tail. "Poor Bella," he crooned into my ear. I noticed the video camera in his hand, it's red light blinking. "Don't worry, your precious Edward will see your last few moments on this earth before you die." He raised the camera, and I blanched a little. _Sadistic bastard._

"No," I said harshly, recoiling from him. "I'm not letting you torment Edward like this."

There was a blur of movement before James slapped me hard, knocking me to the floor. I hissed in pain as I collided with the wood.

Hovering over me, James grinned down at me. "Yes, show your pain, Bella. Show Edward how much you suffered when he wasn't there to save you." I shook my head, obstinate, and screamed in a mixture of surprise and pain as James stamped down on my leg, breaking the bone clean in half. I curled around my leg, hissing between my teeth as tears sprang up in my eyes._ Damn, that hurt._

James laughed again, talking to both me and the camera. "Does that hurt, Bella?" he asked me, his voice coy.

"Not as much as you're going to," I snapped back, thinking of how I should have grabbed my Seraph blade and proved whether or not vampires had blood, especially if they say, suffered a stab wound or a two... _hundred_.

His laughter rang out again as he exclaimed, delighted, "How sweet, Edward! She's so certain you're going to save her!" He twiddled the camera, moving it so it was closer to my face. "Look at her face, Edward. This will be the last you see of her alive."

James kicked me before I could retort, knocking me into the mirrors. My hand smashed against it, breaking the glass and cutting my wrist and hand. I yowled, and James was there, whispering how delicious I smelled. He was grabbing my hand and there was a sharp feeling and _I screamed,_ for the first time I really _screamed._

And then James was flying away from me and smashing into the wall, shattering the mirrors around him. Edward was diving on him, pummeling him into the wall and attacking him. I wanted to scream his name but I couldn't, because my hand felt like it was on fire. So I whimpered in pain and James was laughing again, taunting Edward as he talked about how the last thing he saw would be my death.

There was the shattering of windows and a blur, and then Jasper was affixing himself to James and digging his fangs into James' forearm. James howled and Edward leapt at him, twisting his neck until a loud snap sounded. Things began to become blurry as a fire began to grow while Jasper and Emmett began to rip James to pieces. _My hand was burning, hotter and hotter, the fire was spreading to my wrist, and I wanted to throw up because this heat was killing me from the inside out and-_

_Cool._ Edward's hands were holding me and he was whispering my name. I gripped his sleeve and I whispered, my voice choking, "My hand. It's on fire."

Edward looked at my wrist, before he swore viciously and yelled, "Carlisle!" Carlisle was at my side in an instant, inspecting the damage and moving to bind my obviously broken leg. "Look at her wrist, Carlisle. She's been bitten." Edward's voice was harsh and angry.

"We need to suck the venom out," Carlisle said, binding my leg at an amazing speed.

Edward shook his head, his eyes widening. "I'm not strong enough," he said, and I was missing something, something important.

"You're the only one that can," Carlisle said, his voice calm and collected. Edward was protesting, and the fire began to spread to my arm. I let out a small cry, because the fire was growing hotter and it hurt, it hurt _so much._ "Either do it now, Edward, or let her change. The venom can't be removed after a minute or so. Do it now." Carlisle was talking quickly, and I was beginning to writhe in pain. I choked out Edward's name and the blackness in his eyes seemed to be spreading to the room, because the corners were being eaten up by shadows, despite the harsh light of the bonfire, and my wrist was burning hotter than the fire.

_Cold again._ Edward's mouth was on my wrist, his face contorted into an expression of pain. The fire was receding, but it seemed to me that it was burning Edward inside. My consciousness was faltering as Carlisle murmured encouragement to Edward, who was holding my arm so tightly that it ached. For a moment, I was purely afraid. Edward, who always talked about the temptations of my blood, Edward, who was always afraid of killing me, was having to suck the venom out of my blood. I was less afraid for me, because death wasn't all that bad. There was much worse in this world. But Edward... for me to die at his hands would destroy him more than James ever could.

And then, the fire was gone and Edward was releasing my arm and sitting back heavily, gasping. Carlisle's hand was on his shoulder, and he was whispering, "I'm so proud of you, son." Then he turned to me and asked softly, "Is the fire gone, Bella?"

I nodded, my vision growing ever darker. "It's gone," I whispered, before darkness claimed me.

* * *

Ach! I'm so terrible for ending with a cliffie like this! But fear not, my darlings! In just a week, you'll know the ramifications of our dear cast's actions!

I hope you enjoyed this update, so stayed tuned for another one by next Tuesday! Reviews are still very much loved! And dears, I'd update sooner, but would you believe it, I'm a band geek and I'm stuck at Marching Band camp? (Yes, I can truthfully say: "One time at band camp...")

And now, to respond to last chapter's reviews!

**tamyyiia:** Bella has been raised a Shadowhunter, and in their world, to become a "Downworlder" isn't a good thing, especially for a Nephilim. Since she was raised as thus, she doesn't view taking eternity into your own hands by becoming a vampire as a good thing. But then again, who knows what next chapter will bring? :)

**362TwilightGirl362:** Although Carlisle is a curious fellow, he is a bit too polite towards Bella to seriously pry into her past. If he did find out, however, he would probably approach her privately. Most likely he would dismiss it as a coincidence, though, since Bella hasn't shown any obvious signs of being a Shadowhunter (at least, that he's aware of).

**Samantha meyers:** I'm an evil authoress, so I won't reveal that for quite a while. ;)

**LaBella Gomez:** I threw that in there, since I can't go a chapter without some sort of reference to our cast from City of Bones (I adore them too much not to!)

**Rachel-wa:** I'm glad that you like my crossover! I like strong female characters, and Bella couldn't survive as a Shadowhunter without being tougher, but I'm very glad that you like my version of her.

**Sol Swan Cullen:** I'd assume that Carlisle would have a book like that, seeing as he's been around so long. :) I thought it'd be a nice shocker for Bella to find that others were aware of her kind outside of the Clave. And I wanted Rosalie to be nicer to Bella to show the difference in Bella's personality. Since Bella appears to Rosalie as strong, Rosalie respects her more and she likes the fact that Bella agrees with her on a lot of points and gives Rosalie respect. That, and Rosalie can't always be mean. ;)

All my love, dearies! ~Meneme-chan


	7. Cat's out of the bag

I own nothing.

* * *

I noticed two things when I woke up. Firstly, there was a beeping sound that matched my heartbeat. Second, Edward was stretched across a small couch to my left and appeared to be asleep. I looked around, rolling my neck to stretch it and trying to stretch my arms. Something tugged at the back of my hand; a small tube was attached to my hand with tape. Frowning, I traced the tube with my other hand before tugging again. It didn't budge.

Gripping harder, I prepared to yank it off when Edward's hands were cold on mine and disentangling them from the tube. "Don't take it off," he was whispering in my ear. "It'll hurt and then they'll have to put it back in."

"What is it?" I asked, still frowning at the contraption.

"An I.V., love. It's a tube that feeds into your bloodstream and gives you medicine." Edward's face was quizzical, wondering why I didn't know what it was.

I gave a nervous laugh, feeling slow. "Oh, right. I guess these medications are making me a little slow," I said, giving him a weak smile.

Edward kissed my forehead. "Poor baby," he murmured into my hair. My heartbeat sped up a bit, along with the beeping sounds. Edward's laugh was muffled by my hair as he buried his face into my hair; I frowned freely out of confusion. I had no idea where I was, and asking Edward was out of the question.

Suddenly, Edward was flying back to the bed and settling into a faux pose of sleep. The door opened, and my heart skipped a beat. So did the beeping.

My mother was in the doorway, her face worn and tired. Her curly brown hair was pulled away from her face into a strict bun. Her clothes were black and stern, along with her posture. I swallowed, a painful mixture of emotions rising in my throat.

Her gaze shifted to Edward and rested on him, her face unreadable. Crossing the room, she tapped Edward on the shoulder lightly. He stirred slowly and blinked his eyes a few times, as if to clear them of sleep. "Can I help you?" he asked thickly, pushing himself upright.

My mother nodded, her eyes flashing. "Yes. I'd like you to leave the room so I might be able to visit my daughter in peace."

Edward's face went still with shock, before he slowly got up, looking lost. I felt a stab of guilt, so I spoke softly, "Mom, this is Edward, my boyfriend."

Her glance at him was swift and appraising, but her decision didn't change. "I'm sure he is, but I'd like to be able to visit with you properly." Her eyes blazed like fire, and I understood.

"Edward, why don't you go outside and talk with Alice? I'm sure she'd like to know how I'm doing," my voice was soft and pleasing as I murmured the suggestion to Edward. His shoulders relaxed and he nodded, murmuring a farewell to my mother before exiting the room.

There was silence as my mother simply stood and stared at me. I looked back, drinking in the sight of her. No matter how much trouble I was probably in, I had missed her so much.

When my mother did speak, she only said two clipped words: "Tell me."

I did. I told her about how I met Edward and what he and his family were. I told her about how Edward had saved my life, and how it was easier for me to be banished when he was around. I explained how James had found me and how I had planned to lay low here until he was caught and killed. I told her how he had bitten me and how Edward had saved me. I told her about Edward's powers, along with Alice and Jasper's powers. The apologies were unspoken and raw in my tones, begging her to understand me.

Finally, my mother nodded. Her fingertips brushed through her hair, tracing the bun at the base of her neck. "How did you know that James' didn't have me captive?" she finally asked.

"I heard your voice calling my name and sounding afraid. The moment he said that he had you as his captive, I knew it wasn't true," I said. My mother raised her eyebrow at me and I gave her a crooked smile before adding: "You're never afraid, Mom. If someone had you prisoner to get to me, you'd be giving me hints or secret messages, if they even managed to capture you at all."

A smile worked its' way onto her face. "You know me too well," she murmured.

Stepping forward, she gathered me into a hug and held me to her. I buried my face into her shoulder and breathed in her sharp smell of metal and sunlight. We sat like that for a few minutes, embracing and letting it heal the hurt of separation. When she pulled away, she brushed my hair out of my face and kissed my forehead.

"You won't believe how the Lightwoods reacted when I got the call you were in a mundane hospital," my mother said with a smile. "I don't think I've ever seen Jace turn that pale before."

I grinned, imagining Jace's face white with panic. "How did Izzy and Alec take it?" I asked.

"Alec asked if I needed anything and Izzy offered to kill whoever put you there," my mother said. I laughed. "And Jace started packing his weapons and was about to pay Magnus for a portal to get here."

I groaned and shook my head. "Oh Jace. Can you imagine his reaction to Edward?" I asked, making a mock-horrified face as my mother traced a finger across her throat. "It would not be pretty."

We laughed a little at the thought of our friends in New York. As the laughter died, my mother hugged me again. "Oh, baby, I was so worried when I got that call. And when I saw that... _boy_... in here, my heart nearly stopped. I feared the worst..."

I hugged her back, shushing here. "It's all right, Mom. Everything is going to be fine."

Her smile was bitter as she whispered into my hair; "How can everything be all right when I can't be there for you?"

My throat became tight and painful. "You are there for me, Mom. You taught me everything I know. You raised me well and even though we're not supposed to see each other, I promise that I'll see you again someday. Today is a blessing from the Angel, but it won't be the last time I'll see you."

My mother kissed my forehead, her breathing a bit harsh as she swallowed hard. "You're right. But I will still miss you, baby." I mumbled back how much I missed her too, and she hugged me even harder. "I'll find a way to get audience with the Clave," she told me. "Maryse has been helping me to gain favor, to try to reverse your banishment."

I gripped her hand hard. "Be careful, Mama. They might try to banish you too. I was lucky not to have my Marks stripped, but with you..." My voice trailed off as I tried not to think of the unfortunate possibilities.

My mother kissed my forehead, smiling. "Don't worry about me, Isabella, sweetie. You have your own worries. Including," she added sternly, "how to explain this mess to Charlie."

My eyes went wide and I silently mouthed a curse that would have normally had me grounded for a month. Instead my mother nodded and took my hands in hers. "Let's get your story straight..."

. . .

I had been able to spend a few hours introducing my mother to Edward. Edward was polite and charming, but he never quite managed to crack my mother's exterior. Few had managed that, but then again, few were as charismatic as _Jace_.

Currently, Alice had joined us and was cheerfully trading stories with my mother. Edward was lounging on the couch, scowling playfully at Alice as she told my mother a wild story about how she and Emmett had managed to trick Edward into falling off a cliff into the ocean, where they had forced Jasper to go save Edward who, in the process, had lost his swim shorts. I didn't believe that Jasper would have gone to save Edward, but I did believe the bit about the shorts. I laughed so hard that I nearly cried from the pain of my broken. Despite my mother's pleadings, I refused to use runes to heal more quickly. It would be easy to fool mundanes, but the Cullens would have been much harder to deceive.

When asked for a funny story about me, my mother shook her head and refused. Alice persisted, and I gave my mother a prompt about the time I had taken up ballet. She smiled a little at that, a faint sparkle coming into her eyes. So she told Edward and Alice about how I had begged to take lessons. I persuaded Phil to make me a small stage where I could practice on, only to promptly fall off. "The best part is," my mother said with a laugh, "is that we got it all on camera."

"I would like to see that," Edward agreed, smiling slightly.

I met my mother's eyes and smiled at her, sharing the light moment. I knew it was going to be one of the last that we would have.

. . .

When I arrived in Forks, Charlie was waiting for me. The Cullens had insisted on taking me home, so when I did arrive, Charlie was waiting on the porch, his arms folded and his gun at his hip.

"Leave," I whispered to Edward as he helped get my things out of the back of his car. "And don't listen in. I want this to stay private with my father." Edward nodded, before taking my things to the porch. Charlie's eyes narrowed, and Edward backed away hastily.

When Edward finally drove away, Charlie stared at me, his mustache bristling. "Inside," he finally said, his voice a bark as he pointed towards the door. "Explain."

I hobbled on my crutches, my right leg still awkward in it's cast, to the couch where I could sit down. Charlie sat across from me, but I held out a small amulet in my hand. "Wear this, and I'll explain everything," I told him calmly. My mother had given me the amulet; it was a gift from Magnus Bane. It disrupted psychic and telepathic energies, keeping them scrambled and away from the wearer without bringing too much alarm to the eavesdropper. Slowly Charlie draped it around his neck, and I relaxed.

"You know I am a Shadowhunter like my mother, correct?" I asked him, sitting as straight as I could on the couch.

Charlie nodded. "Renee said that's why she left, too. Said something about it being illegal to be with me."

"It's true," I said, looking down. "But that's not the point. Did she ever tell you about Downworlders?" I asked, staring at my cast.

There was a pause as Charlie shifted and tried to remember. "She said something about it, I think. Something about things like werewolves and vampires... But what does this have to do with anything?"

"The Cullens are downworlders," I said flatly, staring even harder at my cast and trying not to think about how many rules I was breaking right now. "Peaceful ones at that."

Charlie spluttered incoherently. "They're _what?"_

"Vampire-hybrids," I said softly. "Half-vampire, half-angel. They can withstand sunlight and walk among us as beautiful creatures, but they suffer with immortality and the need to drink blood. However," I said, raising a finger as Charlie started to get up, "they do not drink human blood. The Cullens are a vegetarian coven and feed strictly on animals. They are considered harmless by Clave standards."

"You knew this?" Charlie choked out finally, his face purpling with rage. "You knew what Edward was and you _dated_ him?"

I stared Charlie in the eye, willing him to sit down. "Edward is one of the remnants I have of my old life, Father. He is one of the few things that allows me to remember who I am and what I've lost without pain." Charlie sat down slowly, watching me warily still. "Edward makes me happy," I said, looking back down at my cast. "That's an impressive feat, seeing as I thought I'd never be happy again. Not after I lost who I am."

Charlie was silent for a moment, before he sighed heavily. "Then at least explain to me what happened and why you showed up in a cast," he said, settling himself back in his chair.

I inclined my head. "Not all of the creatures of Edward's kind are as peaceful. Many of them drink human blood, along with many of them being nomadic in nature. Last Friday, a feral coven came across the Cullens playing a game of baseball. One of them, James, smelled my blood and was intrigued. Edward reacted, and James became fascinated by the thrill of hunting a fellow vampire's 'pet'."

"He wanted to... to_ drink_ your... _blood_?" Charlie's voice was weak with disbelief.

I nodded again. "And to kill me. Realizing this, Edward insisted that they hide me away, probably in a fellow _'vegetarian'_ coven in Alaska. I refused, and asked for them to take me to Arizona. There, I could hide safely until the Cullens could finish James off. As I had hoped, Mom was in New York with friends, so I was able to hide with Alice and Jasper."

"Then how did you get wounded?" Charlie interrupted, looking a little lost.

"James tried to draw me out by pretending that he kidnapped my mother. I saw through his bluff, but I didn't doubt that he would not hesitate to draw me out through other, more drastic means. So I took the bait and went to see him, becoming bait myself and stalling until the rest of the Cullens could come and attack him while he was unsuspecting." I saw the question forming on Charlie's lips, and I grimaced. "They were a little late. James managed to knock me into a wall of mirrors before Edward came to my rescue."

Charlie let out a string of profanities that made me stop in shock and then bite down a laugh. My life was getting stranger and stranger by the second.

When Charlie finally calmed down, he asked, "So why this necklace?"

I explained the basic function of the necklace, before explaining why he needed it. "Edward's a mind-reader, Dad, and Alice can see the future. I didn't want them to know that I was revealing this to you, seeing as this is highly confidential information and that as a banished Nephilim, I could be branded as a traitor for passing on this information."

Charlie's face grew grim and he nodded slowly. "I won't say a word to anyone," he vowed quietly.

I smiled tiredly at my father. "Thanks Dad."

. . .

That weekend, I found myself sitting in Alice's room, having my toes painted a myriad of colors. Even my cast-bound toes were being slathered in nail polish. "Alice," I finally asked, patiently holding still for her as she continued to hum to herself while decorating my feet. "Why are you painting my toes like a rainbow?"

"Silly Bella," Alice said with a tut. "Even cripples have to be fabulous."

I stared at Alice long and hard. "You realize how completely politically incorrect that statement is, along with all the levels of wrong it is?" Alice nodded happily and I leaned back. "Just checking."

I had no suspicions when Alice started painting my toenails, because that was just typical Alice. But when she started curling my hair and putting me into dresses, I had a bad feeling. I cheerfully asked to borrow her phone so I could play a game on it when she debated between hairstyles. I checked the date quickly on her calendar, and sure enough, a four letter word was written down (and it wasn't the word that went through my mind when I read it).

Prom.

Edward was taking me to frickin' prom.

"Alice," I said with a growl, holding her phone out to her. "Why didn't you just ask me if I wanted to go to Prom?"

My voice was sharp enough to make her wince. "I knew you'd say no," she said miserably. "And we all wanted you to go to Prom so badly!"

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Each word acted like a slap, making her recoil from me. "You could have at least asked me which dress I liked best," I muttered.

Alice's face went from melancholy to astonished in record time. "You'll go?" she asked, looking stunned.

I shrugged. "So long as I get to wear that gold gown, I'll go." It had been a hard decision between the black gown, which reminded me of Shadowhunting, and the gold one. But I had worn a similar gown to a ball with Jace, when I was fifteen, and I still remembered the elation I felt when I first stepped into the dress. I could hear _the string quartet playing as Jace flashed a smile at me, stepping closer to tell me how surprised he was to see me in such a lovely dress. The way he laughed when I told him that his suit made his head look even fatter, and his laugh was a glorious sound..._

"You like the gold one?" Alice asked, holding up the dress in question. I nodded, and she shrugged. "Well, all right then."

Still remembering the night at the ball, I tugged at a limp lock of my brown hair. "And I've got an idea for my hair, too..."

Two hours later, I was wearing a beautiful gold prom dress. My hair was swept up into a spiral of curls on the back of my head, pinned with pearls that caught the light with a faint gold glow. Alice had brushed a soft gold shimmer onto my eyelids, making my eyes brighter and bringing out a golden undertone that I had never noticed. Charlie had smiled when he came by to see me in my prom dress (my walking cast easily hidden by my gown) and taken pictures, promising to send them to my mother.

Edward drove me to the dance, which was being held in the high school gym. It was decorated with balloons and streamers, both of which I snickered a little at. "Is prom really that important?" I asked, gazing at the mob of high schoolers outside the gym. "It wasn't that big where I came from."

Car parked, Edward opened my door for me and helped me up. "It is, love. I want you to get the full experience of it all." His eyes, normally bright, were now a dull gold. I wanted to ask what was bothering him, but he took my arm and dragged me off to where I had to mingle with our classmates. Jessica eyed me beadily, her face dark as she came to the conclusion that my gold dress outclassed her strappy pink one. Angela, coming from my left, smiled and complimented my dress. I warmly returned the compliment, admiring her sleek teal mermaid styled dress.

After an agonizing time of mingling, we were lead inside to dance. I smiled ruefully at Edward, gesturing to my broken leg. "I don't know if I can dance in this thing, Edward," I said, biting my lip.

Picking me up, Edward placed my feet on top of his and began to slowly dance with me. I waltzed with him; it was easier to dance like this than attempting to dance with a cast.

Songs went by, and Edward slowly wheeled me outside to where we could dance on a makeshift veranda. Leaning close, Edward nuzzled my shoulder. "You look beautiful tonight, darling." My heart skipped a beat, and Edward took the chance to dip me back slowly, his hands carefully supporting me. His smile was tender as his eyes drank in the sight of me before he pulled me gently to his chest. His voice was soft in my ear as he whispered, "I love you, Bella Swan."

Emotions rose painfully inside of me. I was surprised that he was being so frank about his emotions, and somewhere inside of me, I was giggling and blushing at his soft words. But another part of me was wincing and turning away. Edward loved _Bella Swan_, not_ Isabella Wayland_. He loved sweet, unassuming, innocent, Bella Swan the mundane _human_. Not the tough-talking, musician and fighter that was Isabella Wayland the _Nephilim._ And Bella Swan loved Edward dearly, because Edward was everything to her. Edward protected Bella, he saved her and took care of her, he made her happy and he made her feel loved. But Isabella Wayland wasn't sure of what to think of Edward, because Isabella wasn't sure if she could trust a Downworlder with abilities like his, but she also owed him her life and her sanity. _I was so screwed._

Swallowing the confusion and pain, I smiled shakily back and mumbled, "I love you too."

* * *

Ooh! Ooh! Angst in lovey-dovey land! Is Bella having second thoughts? _Ooooohhh!_

Now you have met Renee, and you've had a few hints as to why Bella is the way she is (shall there be more? You never know with writer roulette!).

And, another Jace reference? What is my problem? Oh yes, Jace himself is. But I can't resist such a pretty face and snarky attitude! No I can't!

***ahem***

In other news... I'll post the pictures of Bella's gown and hair-do to my profile, because I'm semi nice and semi lazy.

I might be updating slowly this week. My grandpa is in the hospital, so I'll be spending a lot of time with him and hoping for the best. (which is why I'm updating a day early, to get this out of the way, no offense).

And now, to respond to your reviews!

**Alanna-Banana1987**: I didn't change Bella because one: it wouldn't fit the story; and two: Can you really see Bella as a vampire? I can't, not with her personality and with her being a Nephilim. That would be the ultimate agony to her.

**Goddess of Discord and Cookies**: Bella wasn't stripped of her Marks, persay. She is no longer allowed to be among Shadowhunters or to go to Idris, but she was never stripped. She still can carry marks, it would just be basically suicide for her to defy the Clave like that. And I can't tell you why, cuz I'm mean.

**II Mizu II:** I'm tossing in hints every now and then, because I know I'm being annoying. ;) And I do love band camp, despite the long hours.

**tamyyiia**: Well, Renee was pretty close to opening a can of whoop-ass on Edward, but Bella does seem to be faintly fond of him...

**Magik Sause of Death**: They'll find out eventually, don't worry. :)

**2007**: They did not, actually. I've decided to let her keep her Marks, but she is banished for reasons the author is too cruel to reveal yet.

**Rachel-wa**: Yes, I know, I'm mean. :) Cookie to buy your love?

**Sol Swan Cullen**: Yes, Bella really should have. Those nagging little doubts in the back of her mind tend to be right most of the time. And Renee is angry, but she's being more mommy-worried than anything else.

Please keep reviewing! Reviewers get responses posted at the end of each chapter and an imaginary cookie of your choosing!


	8. The lamb eats the lion

I own nothing, my dears, but the situations my cranium dreams up.

* * *

After prom, things weren't the same. Edward's eyes constantly had a faraway look in them, as if he couldn't pull away from something that was troubling him. Jasper would shoot Edward nervous looks that were shot through with irritation and Alice was constantly plagued by ever-shifting visions that she would not speak of to anyone. Rosalie's icy demeanor melted completely before me as she invited me over to their house more and more frequently. Our friendship began to blossom and I found solace in her constant companionship. One Friday, three weeks after prom and when everyone else was hunting, Rosalie finally opened up about her past to me.

We sat on her bed, going through magazines and sharing jokes. Her face went still when she saw an advertisement for baby clothes; the pain on her face was plain. I watched the tender and sad emotions on her face before I dared to quietly say, "You really want to be a mother, don't you?"

Her gaze flickered to me before she smiled sadly. "Yes," she said. "I really wish I could be. But, being what I am..." Her laugh was shaky. "It's just not possible."

I smiled sadly at her, before I took her hand and squeezed it gently. "You're a great friend, you know," I told her. "And the way you're so kind to me, well... it reminds me of my mother." I bit down the tears, but nearly bit my lip through when she gathered me into a hug.

"Oh, Bella," she sighed, hugging me tightly. "Sometimes I wish you could be a part of our family, but I could never be so selfish as to take everything away from you."

I awkwardly hugged her back. "It's all right, Rose," I said, a little unsure.

Smiling, Rosalie pulled away from the hug, her golden eyes melancholic. "Bella, has Edward ever told you about why I was changed?"

I shook my head. "He's never told me about anyone's reasons, and I've never pried. I didn't think it was any of my business."

Rosalie's smile was sad. "I was born to a nice, middle class family. My parents wanted the world for me, and they had high hopes when I grew to be beautiful. I was taught to aim high, and from the time I was little, I knew I wanted a lavish home with many children. When I was older, I met Royce. His father owned the bank at which my father worked at, and Royce's family was extremely wealthy. He fell in love with me, and we were soon engaged. I was happy, but I was still wanting.

"I remember visiting my friend, Vera, to tell her about the engagement. Vera had been married for a while to a man who adored her, and they had a beautiful little boy named Henry. When I saw them with their son, I knew that was what I wanted, and I was envious. I wanted a happy family.

"One night, after staying at Vera's, I walked home. It was late, but I didn't think to call my father to escort me, since the walk was a short one. Along the way, I saw several drunken men. One of them Royce. He grabbed me and dragged me over to his friends and began to show me off. Then he ripped me jacket and the pins from my hair. I remember the way the buttons bounced across the street..."

The hair on my nape began to raise, and my heart went into my throat. "Rosalie..." I whispered, my voice half strangled.

She shook her head and continued. "They beat me and raped me. Carlisle found me in the street, left to die. He took me in and tried to treat my wounds. When he realized that I would not survive, he turned me."

Silence reigned for a moment, before I finally whispered, "What happened to Royce?"

Rosalie's smile was dark. "After the transformation, I went for him. Dressed in what would have been my wedding gown, I slaughtered him and his friends without spilling a drop of blood. I had my revenge, and then I was done."

I took Rosalie's hands and held them gently. "Rose," I said, completely serious. "I am sorry that you ever had to experience that. And if I could, I would go back in time and slaughter them, just for you."

Laughing a little, Rosalie smiled. "Thanks, Bella, but you don't have to. If that I had never happened, I would have never met Emmett." Her face growing serious, Rosalie gently cupped my cheek with her hand. "I don't want to see you become a vampire, Bella. I couldn't bear to see you throw your life away like that."

I was quiet for a moment. As much as I loved the Cullens, I could never become a vampire. I would never be able to trade away the chance that I could be a Nephilim just to be a Downworlder. And I doubted very much that my blood would react favorably to the vampire blood...

"I won't become a vampire, Rosalie," I finally said quietly. "Even if I were on the verge of death, I could never become what you are. It would be unbearable for me..." My voice broke off as I tried to gather my thoughts. I fidgeted with a page in a magazine, before continuing. "I'm human, and that's something I do occasionally enjoy. Despite the fact that I hate being this weak, it's what I am. And yes, I wish I wasn't such easy prey to people like James, but that can't be helped." I shrugged. "I am what I am, I might as well enjoy it while I can."

Rosalie stared at me, her mouth slightly open as her eyes went wide with shock. I bit my tongue, feeling foolish for talking so freely. But she gathered me in a hug, startling me and banishing my worries with her words. "I am so proud to know you, Bella," she said over my shoulder. "You are so, so wise. And no matter what, I will do what I can to defend you."

After that, Rosalie and I were nearly inseparable. She would watch movies with Edward and me on the couch, take Alice and me shopping and even share in our 'sleep-over' nights. She became a regular at my house, and Charlie didn't seem to mind (but then again, what father would mind his daughter's beautiful friend being over?).

Despite Rosalie's constant companionship, I began to notice something was amiss. Edward became more and more reserved, despite my attempts to bring him out of his shell. He rarely smiled at me anymore, nor did he show much affection towards me. My skin was always prickling around him, and my heart beat painfully with the dark realization of what was going on.

Little did I know how bad it was going to be.

It was Saturday when he came over. Charlie was at Billy Black's house, fishing. I was home alone, idly re-reading _Wuthering Heights._ There was a knock at the door and after marking my place, I ran to the door and opened it. In the doorway was Edward, his face composed. "Hey," I said, surprised. Standing on my tiptoes, I kissed his cheek. "What brings you here, stranger?"

"Go for a walk with me?" Edward's voice was oddly flat as he gestured for me to follow him.

I faltered, my heart banging in my ribcage. "Sure," I said, trying to keep my voice chipper. Closing the door behind me, I followed him as he began to walk through the woods. I hurried, but it was hard for me to keep up. His pace was quick and his back was stiff and unyielding as he walked. We walked for at least twenty minutes, before he finally stopped and turned to me.

"We're moving," he said abruptly, stopping me dead in my tracks. "It's getting harder for Carlisle to pretend to be thirty-five, and he hardly looks thirty. People are going to notice that he isn't aging, and we can't risk that."

"Oh," I said stupidly. My mind was sputtering my skull, trying to understand and to think ahead. _How was I supposed to stay with Edward if he moved?_ "Where are you moving to?"

"We're heading to California." He did not look at me as he spoke, and my agitation grew.

Running a hand through my hair, I sighed. "All right then. So what are we going to do? I don't know if Charlie would like me running off to California..."

"_We? _" The sharpness in Edward's voice made me flinch.

"Well, yeah," I said, stammering. "_Us_. Unless... well, I'm not going?"

"I don't want you to come," Edward said, cutting me off and making me bite my lip at his harsh tone.

"You don't want me to come?" I repeated stupidly, looking blankly at Edward.

"No. I don't want you." Edward still did not look at me, but there was a chill in the air, as if the coldness exuding from him right now could change the air.

I was silent as my mind reeled. Edward didn't want me. That was hard enough to swallow. Despite the fact that I was still upset about not being able to be myself at all times, I had sincerely enjoyed every moment with Edward. He made me happy. _And his family..._ "What about your family?" I choked out the question, my lungs burning. "What do they think?"

"They agree with me," Edward's voice was harsh, and I flinched away from him. His words were a slap across my face. _Rosalie and Alice were more than willing to leave me behind? _

"Even Alice and Rose?" I asked, both wanting to know and afraid of the answer. Edward nodded, and I choked back a sob. I sat down heavily in the loam, burying my face in my arms.

"Bella." Edward, his voice dark and commanding, was staring down at me from across the small clearing where we stood. I looked up at him, struggling to keep my face composed. "Promise me you won't do anything reckless. Think of Charlie and Renee, how would they take it if you did something stupid and got yourself hurt?"

_Charlie would worry, and Renee would skin me alive._ "I promise," I said, the words falling thickly from my lips.

Edward was quiet before he said, his voice softer, "And I, in return, promise that this is the last you will ever see of me. I'll make it so it's like I never existed." I heard the steel in his voice before I buried my face in my arms once more, trying to hide my tears. Over the shaky sound of my breathing, I heard Edward's footsteps as he left. The sound echoed in my heart, and I waited for the sound to fade before I allowed myself to dissolve into tears.

As I cried, I allowed myself to bitterly mourn what I had lost. I had lost my boyfriend, who I had loved despite the turmoils I hid within me. With him, he had taken his family that had taken me in and treated me as one of their own. Not only that, I had lost my chance to feel purely human. My heart crumbled at the thought. Now, not only was I alone, but I was left to mourn the triple loss of my rightful place as a Nephilim, the loss of my boyfriend and his family, along with the loss of the feelings of being a human. Around Edward, I could pretend that I never lost anything. I could be a human girl, dazzled by a beautiful boy who swept her off her feet. I could be Bella Swan, the human daughter of a police chief, the girl lucky enough to have a handsome young man like Edward court her. With Edward, I was Bella Swan, and Isabella rarely surfaced. The pain, which had been numbed by his comforting presence, broke upon me like a wave of cement.

Through my tears, I brokenly half-shouted; "Edward! You can't just leave me like this! You were my last chance!" My voice died as tears flooded my throat, and I collapsed on the ground. I laid there for hours, wishing that my tears would drown me.

The sky gradually darkened, blessedly draping me in shadows. I drifted in and out of consciousness, and the half-formed dreams I had were dark and nightmarish. I would see Edward again, his eyes burning red as he scornfully turned away from me. Then I would jolt upright, crying out and reaching for him, only to find that I was alone once more. Sometimes I would hear people calling my name, but when I fully recognized that they were, the voices had faded and I realized that I must have been dreaming.

There was a rustle of bushes after a few hours, whispering nearby. I watched in mild interest as leaves waved to me, before a man stepped out of the bushes. He was tall and shirtless, with darkly tanned skin and cropped black hair. In one hand he loosely held a flashlight, which he shone towards me. "Bella Swan?" he asked, his voice gruff. I shielded my eyes from the brief flash of light, nodding. He held his hand out to me. "My name is Sam Uley. Your father sent a search party out to find you and I'm here to get you home." I nodded, but made no effort to move. "Can you walk?" Sam asked, stepping over tree roots and approaching me. I stared at my legs, contemplating his question. I tried to stand, but my legs collapsed underneath me, so I shook my head. Wordlessly Sam picked me up and began to walk through the undergrowth, unaffected by my added weight. He jogged slowly until I began to yelp from the pain from my stiff muscles. I hadn't moved for hours, and my body was stiff and hard to move.

Slowing his pace, Sam walked slowly with me in his arms. His body was hot against my shivering body, and I slowly relaxed against his chest. The motion he made when he walked rocked me gently, causing my eyelids to droop lower, lulling me into a state of sleep. As I was about to fall asleep, he cleared the undergrowth and a bubble of voices burst upon me, startling me into a state of vague alertness. Charlie's voice was prominent as he shouted my name and crashes followed as he ran towards us. Sam surrendered me into my father's arms, and his voice buzzed low as he told my father where he had found me. Charlie thanked him profusely, leading him into the house as Sam followed closely behind, trying to answer Charlie's questions.

I was laid on the couch, where Charlie wrapped me up in a blanket and looked me in the eyes. "Bella, honey, I need to know this. Did anyone hurt you when you were in the woods?"

I knew the fear in his voice, and I shook my head. No, Edward hadn't raped me or attacked me. He had only broken my heart and smashed my dreams. A hysterical laugh bubbled in my throat, and Charlie gently ushered Sam away.

"Bella, baby, are you sure?" his voice was so gentle and so raw that it briefly took the edge off the pain.

"He broke up with me," I whispered, my voice scratchy. "And then he left. He's gone, daddy. He and his family left me." There were no more tears to shed; my eyes were dry and bright.

Charlie gathered me into a hug and soothed me as I dry sobbed into his shoulder. "Everything is going to be all right, honey. Everything is going to be all right." I wished that I could believe him.

* * *

This chapter was a bit short, but I felt that it didn't need to be dragged on forever. Did I do okay? Review and tell me, s'il vous plaît.

To all my well-wishers, thank you for your concerns. However, my grandfather passed away on Wednesday. Thanks to those who offered their well-wishes, they are appreciated.

Despite this, I hope to update again soon, seeing as this chapter was very short.

And now to respond to your reviews!

**Magik Sause of Death:** Thanks for your enthusiasm! :)

**Goddess of Discord and Cookies:** Indeed! My mother was amazing and surprised me with that book!

**Allie1683:** Thanks, I'm glad you love the story! And thanks for your well-wishes.

**vampiresruleandihatetwilight:** Thanks for the review, and awesome username.

**tamyyiia:** Thanks! And Jace is always fun to reference, curse his gorgeous charms

**FutureMrsIan:** Jace will make an appearance in about five chapters, so we'll see then.

**Alanna-Banana1987:** Jace and Bella's relationship is actually undecided right now for me, but their past relationships have been decided. :) So you'll see soon!

**dazzlingnsparkling:** Isabella isn't actually related to Jace. For one, Phil isn't her father, and two, Jace isn't a Wayland either. However, Phil isn't related to Jace's 'father', so no, they aren't siblings. They are very close friends, however, with some definite hints at having had a relationship.

**2007:** Thanks, I was happy to keep my character alive :) But no, I doubt Bella would have died. Nephilim are rather hard to kill.

**Rachel-wa:** Banished means you can't go to Idris, while I think being stripped of her marks would make her unable to ever be a Nephilim again.

**addicted-2-oxygen**: Marshmallow cookie it is, then! Jace does not think he's a Wayland, and he isn't related to Bella at all, anyways. Phil is a distant cousin of Jace's father, so if they were related, they would be like, sixth cousins or something. Not enough relation to cause fuss.

**Sol Swan Cullen:** Yes, Bella is quite like Hodge, so it's a similar banishment. Whether or not Bella and Jace have a history will eventually be revealed. Edward will eventually find out, but after this update, that being anytime soon isn't very you for the well wishes, they are well appreciated.

Read and review! Reviewers get the satisfaction of haranguing a writer into changing her mind multiple times!

~Meneme-chan.


	9. Kiss my asphalt

I own nothing.

. . .

School wrapped itself up in a cacophony of noise and excitement, none of which touched me. I was a shell, hurting and frozen. I had lost all but one of my friends and found that I wasn't getting up from that fall, let alone having landed on my feet. Only Jace was catlike enough to land on his feet, but he didn't count.

Angela was a faint source of comfort as I stumbled through school and got the hell kicked out of me by life. She never pried or questioned; she merely listened quietly and sat by my side, allowing me to stew in my silence. Even when she wasn't speaking, she exuded a sense of peace in silence. I huddled close to this small comfort, this friend, gnawing at it obsessively during the night when I knew I had to sleep but I was afraid to. The nightmares were growing steadily worse, something that neither Angela nor Charlie could dispel. Every night I woke up screaming, tearing myself from nightmares of being left alone, of being torn to shreds by James while the Cullens watched, or even of when I was alone in the forest. Charlie would rush into my room as I screamed, his face panicked as he rushed to comfort me and soothe away the nightmares. Sometimes it would remind me of when I was younger and I would dream about demons and cry out into the night. My mother would always hold me and comfort me, but the nightmares kept on. When I was eight, she finally gave me a small throwing knife and telling me to keep it on my bedside table. She said that if the demons in my dreams ever bothered me, I could always kill them with the knife and then I would be safe. _Somehow, I doubted that killing Edward in my dreams would make all of the nightmares go away..._

When summer came, I alternated between locking myself in my room and staring moodily out the window. Every moment pulsed with the pain of losing myself to this sadness, but I could never tear myself away. I stewed in my misery, mourning the loss of my humanity and the loss of comfort.

Finally, during a warm day towards the end of June, Charlie took me with him to go fishing with Billy Black. I sat quietly in his cruiser, staring out the window as the forest slid by next to the road. We pulled up to Billy's house, where Charlie got out and motioned for me to follow. I lugged myself after him, silent and watchful. Leading me up a small ramp leading to the front door, Charlie knocked on the door and waited. It was opened by a tall young man who stood a whole head above me. Automatically, Charlie and I craned our necks upwards to look the boy in the face. "Hey Jacob," Charlie said, greeting the boy.

"Hi Chief Swan. Dad's in the kitchen, but he's just fixing up his lunch," Jacob said, opening the door wide enough for us to enter. He looked at me, his eyes soft as he said quietly, "You must be Bella. I'm Jacob, Billy's son." He held out his hand, and I slowly took it and gave it a brief shake. "I fixed up the truck for you Dad," he added, looking for all the world like a little boy as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Recognition flared in my mind. "Yeah, Charlie told me. It runs like a dream," I said, folding my arms across my body.

Jacob smiled so suddenly that the brightness from it nearly blinded me. "That's great to hear," he said, and the warmth in his voice made me believe him.

There was a creak as Billy Black wheeled across the floor towards us. "Why don't you show her the garage, Jacob? I'm sure it's much more interesting than a pair of old fuddy-duddies fishing," he said, flashing me a smile that nearly out-shone his son's. I cracked a smile, and Charlie beamed.

"Sure thing, Dad," Jacob said, gesturing for me to follow him. I followed him outside to a separate garage that stood away from the house. There was a well-worn path to the garage that we walked along, hinting that Jacob must have spent a long time in there. When he opened the door, I was surprised. Inside was a little Volkswagon Rabbit, it's hood opened up and the engine in the process of being rebuilt. There were tools lining the walls, with parts everywhere.

"Wow," I said, craning my neck to take it all in. "You must practically live in here."

"The only thing it doesn't have is a bathroom and a refrigerator," Jacob said with a wide smile. "My dad refuses to put one in; he says he likes to see me every now and then." I shared a smile with Jacob as he patted the body of the Rabbit. "This is my current baby, I've been working on her for months now."

"She looks great," I told him honestly.

We sat in his garage and talked for at least an hour. He told me funny stories about incidents with Charlie and Billy, things that he and his friends had done and that one time his friend Quil had been afraid of a garbage bag because he thought it was a ghost. I found myself laughing harder than I had for months, and the misery I usually felt slowly dissipated. After the laughter died down, Jacob shyly suggested, "Would you like to go down to the beach? It's always pretty nice down there." I nodded, sliding off my seat on a small bench.

After writing Charlie and BIlly a small note, we walked side by side down to the beach. When we were in sight of the ocean, Jacob laughed and shouted a challenge over his shoulder to race me to the water. He took off running, but I was right behind him. I passed him quickly and skidded to a halt at the edge of the water, not wanting to get my shoes wet. Jacob had no such worries as he ran straight into the water, soaking himself up to his knees. Laughing, he said, "I won!"

"I got there first!" I argued.

"Yeah, but I said it was a race to the water. I went into the water, and you stopped just before the water, meaning you never reached the water. So I won." He was so simply proud and smug that he reminded me forcibly of Jace. Laughing, I pulled off my shoes and pranced up to Jacob before I tried to push him over in the water.

"Fine then!" I said, laughing. "In the water you go!"

He let out an explosion of laughter as he tore away from me and ran through the water, splashing and kicking up sea foam. I chased him through the cold water, laughing with him and giggling. His brightness was contagious, and I couldn't help but enjoy myself.

We exhausted ourselves running through the surf before we flopped down on the sand and collapsed there, breathless. Laughing through his heavy breathing, Jacob turned his head towards me and said, "That was so much fun."

I grinned lazily back at him. "It was."

Sitting up, Jacob grabbed a fistful of sand and watched it trickle through his fingers. "How about we build a sandcastle?"

I pushed myself upright. "Sounds like fun," I admitted. "But I've never built a sandcastle before."

Jacob stared at me, shocked. "You've never built a sandcastle?" He repeated, looking absolutely horrified.

"Don't look at me like that," I said with a small laugh. "I spent most of my summers in New York, and the beaches there aren't that great."

Shaking his head, Jacob wordlessly mouthed his astonishment to himself. "Well, in that case, prepare to make the world's greatest sandcastle."

He had me dig a moat to surround the castle, to protect the castle from the incoming tide. I dug with my bare hands, piling the sand in the center of my circular moat. Jacob helped and we met halfway, our moat ending up about a foot both in depth and width. From there, we moulded the castle to be a spiral with an open center. We dug the center wide enough for me to squeeze inside and mould the inside. I made small windows and doors into rooms, and even made a tiny balcony towards the top of the castle that hit just below my knees. Then, Jacob and I went on a small mission to find shells to decorate the castle with. By the time we finished, the tide began to come in. We ran around, digging the moat deeper and making a small wall around it. But it was futile as the tide came in and slowly dragged our castle away.

Throwing an arm around my shoulder, Jacob squeezed me gently to his side. "Don't fret, Bella," he said quietly, seeing the disappointment on my face. "We'll build another one."

Turning to Jacob, I searched his honest brown eyes. "Promise?" I asked, feeling for all the world like a little child.

"Promise," he said, smiling.

We walked back to his house, where Billy and Charlie were cooking the fish that they had caught. Jacob and I entered the kitchen, laughing because I had beaten Jacob in a race to the front door because Jacob had slipped and stumbled into a bush. There were twigs and leaves sticking to his clothes, making me laugh whenever I looked at him. When Charlie heard my laugh, his mustache twitched as he smiled at the two of us. We ate dinner with the Blacks, where Jacob entertained us with his stories and Billy kept him grounded with his calm comments. Every time I laughed at one of Jacob's ridiculous stories, Jacob would flush and Charlie would beam with pride. After dinner, Jacob swept me up in a bear hug of a farewell, startling a yelp out of me. Jacob cracked up and I batted at him fondly, smacking his arm and scolding him. We left, promising to be back shortly. I waved farewell to Jacob, shouting that next time, the sandcastle was going to be bigger.

That night, I dreamed of sandcastles made of glass that caught the sun like a red fire and dazzled me with it's raw beauty.

Towards the beginning of July, I found two rusted old motorcycles sitting in someone's front yard with a sign that said 'free.' I had driven motorcycles both in New York with Jace and in Arizona, and I had even convinced my mother to let me get a motorcycle endorsement. An idea forming in my head, I ran to the door of their house and double-checked with them. Then, with the help of their son, I put the motorcycles in the back of my truck and drove to Jacob's house. He was in his garage, as usual, so when I burst in there like I always did, Jacob merely smiled and called his customary greeting of "What's up?"

"How much do you know about motorcycles, Jake?" I asked without preamble.

Pulling himself out from under the Rabbit, Jacob propped himself up on his elbows and admitted, "A bit, but I'm no expert. Why do you ask?"

"Come with me to my truck," I said, gesturing for him to follow me. He did, and he laughed a little when he saw the two motorcycles in my truck.

"Never one for subtleties, are you Bells?" Still, Jacob grinned and helped me carry the motorcycles out of the car. Together, we pushed the motorcycles to his garage and Jacob began his examination of them. He poked and prodded, pried off covers and checked the engines, mumbled notes to himself and poured over every inch of them. I waited and leaned against a table, twisting my hair around my fingers and watching him with half-closed eyes. Finally he straightened, dusted his hands off and said, "Well, they'll need some new parts, but they're salvageable."

I grinned, tucking my hair away from my face. "When should we start?" I asked, smiling slightly at Jacob.

He glanced up at me, his big dark eyes calculating. "The parts we need could be expensive," he said, his voice low and cautioning. "We could try looking through some car junk yards for parts, but some parts I think we'll have to buy." He ran his hand over his face before he said quietly, "If we get started today, we should be done by August."

Beaming, I tied my hair back in a pony tail and said brightly, "Let's get going then!"

Jacob cracked a smile as he followed me out to my truck. I drove to the car yard, with Jacob giving me directions. Well, less of giving me directions and more of him suddenly remembering the way or abruptly shouting for me to turn. He was worse than any backseat driver I had ever met, but he was at least apologetic for the four hasty U-turns I had to make.

We reached the junk yard and I parked surreptitiously along the side of the road. Jacob was rolling up his sleeves as he walked towards the lot, so I jogged after him to catch up. "We'll need at least two of each part; one for each motorcycle. If I see one, I'll show you what it looks like and you can go search for it," Jacob said, giving me a grin. "Not that you're thick or anything, but you don't exactly know what you're looking for."

I grimaced and said coolly, "Right."

Three hours later, Jacob and I had salvaged enough parts to rebuild most of the motorcycles. It had been hard, grueling work, but Jacob's steady and cheery companionship made the time enjoyable. More than once Jacob caused a sudden outburst of laughter from me that startled a bird off it's perch. We drove back to his house with our findings, laughing and joking. When I nearly missed the turn onto his street because I was paying attention to his joke, Jacob laughed and asked if I was having a senior moment. I smeared a bit of grease across his face for that.

We brought our things back and set about working. Night began to fall, and Billy ended up inviting Charlie to come over for dinner.

Most of the month of July came in this fashion. I would go over to Jacob's to work on his motorcycle and we would take turns making dinners for the other one. Often his friends, Quil and Embry, would be over and they would either help Jacob work or would completely distract him. Embry would quietly watch Jacob work or lend a hand, and Quil would use this as an opportunity to flirt outrageously with me. I didn't mind, because I had met bigger flirts than him on the subways of New York. But when it would cause fights between Quil and Jacob, I always intervened. Sometimes I would lightly slap Quil upside the head for being too forward, and other times I would have to tackle Jacob to keep him from mauling Quil.

Sometimes Quil would say something witty that would make me laugh despite myself, and those were the times that I would see Jacob scowling from under the car. Other days, Quil would simply pester me with old pick-up lines. I usually laughed or made snarky retorts to his attempts, but when he asked me, "Do you have any raisins?" I was startled enough to reply honestly. When I said no, he grinned widely at me and blurted, "Well, then how about a date?" I laughed so hard that I nearly cried, and Jacob yelled something about Quil being cornier than a state fair.

After three weeks of hard work and laughter in the garage, the motorcycles were finally ready. Being the expert on motorcycles, Jacob made me sit through an hour of training before he finally let me try it out. I didn't have the heart to tell him that a friend had all ready shown me how to drive and that I had my motorcycle endorsement, so I allowed him to fuss and worry over me. He meant well, and he was doing what he could to take care of me. When he felt that I was ready, he strapped a helmet onto my head and finally agreed to let me drive it.

Grinning, I revved the engine. My grin grew wider as I listened to the purr of the engine. Clambering onto his bike, Jacob strapped on his helmet and nodded at me. "Hey Jacob!" I called to him. "Kiss my asphalt!" Laughing, I took off on the motorcycle.

The wind whipped across my body, howling against my helmet. I couldn't hear if Jacob was behind me, but a glance in the rearview mirrors assured me that he was. I revved the engine higher, tearing down the road. The black path flitted underneath me like a shadow, and I felt like I was flying. Ignoring the temptation to fling my arms upwards, I clenched the handlebars tighter and lost myself to the thrill of driving. The world was a blur around me, unable to keep up and looking after me as I tore through it. Excitement bubbled in my throat, and I let out a whoop that left my throat raw. Laughing, I drove until I could see that I was slowly depleting my gas tank. Slowing, I waited for Jacob and watched as he pulled up next to me.

Tugging off his helmet, Jacob let out a breathless laugh as he exulted, "You're a speed demon, Bella!"

I grinned and leaned against the handlebars. "I probably should have warned you," I said, smiling a little regretfully. Admittedly, I drove fast, but I had ridden faster. _Jace wasn't just a speed demon, he was an armada of speed demons._

Jacob laughed, his face glowing with excitement. "Are you kidding? That was amazing!" His laughter was infectious, and soon I was chuckling with him. "We should probably head back," he said, the smile still hovering on his face. "I'm not too sure about what Charlie would say about you driving a motorcycle."

"It could be worse," I said, my tone light as I turned my motorcycle around. "I could be riding off with some hot guy." Jacob looked offended, and I amended, "With lots and lots of tattoos."

He laughed, and we put on our helmets. I took off again, feeling the way the wind whipped itself around my body. I felt like freedom itself.

We arrived at Jacob's house soon after, our fingers chilled and numb as we pushed the motorcycles into Jacob's garage. We walked inside his house, our hair windswept and our faces flushed. I found myself face to face with Charlie, his mustache twitching as he gave me a dark look. "Bella, what were you doing?"

"Testing out the motorcycles that I helped Jacob build?" I said, my statement coming out as a question.

There was a fire in Charlie's eye that recalled the steel in my spine and made Jacob's turn to jelly. He shrank away like a rejected puppy, but Charlie paid him no heed. "Unless you have a motorcycle license, Isabella Marie Swan, what you just did is illegal."

At the sound of my name, my back straightened and my mouth tightened. Staring Charlie in the eye, I unzipped my jacket pocket and took a small plastic card out of my wallet. Holding it up for him to see, I said coldly, "I'm legal in New York and Arizona. I believe that under state law, this will work until I get one in Washington."

Both Charlie and Jacob stared at me in shock. Charlie then fixed his eye on Jacob and said, "You, young man, do not. I'll let it slide, but next time, I'll have to have a talk with you." Jacob nodded, shuffling into the kitchen, leaving Charlie and me alone. Silence reigned shortly. "How long have you had your endorsement, Bella?" Charlie finally asked, not meeting my eyes.

"About a year," I said, staring steadily at him. "One of my friends had a motorcycle in New York, so I convinced Mom to let me get my endorsement."

"She let you?" Charlie looked genuinely surprised, and I bared my teeth in a smile.

"Either that, or I'd ride anyways. Might as well make me legal." Putting away my wallet, I nodded at Charlie. "I know that you worry about me, and I'm guessing that you're not a fan of motorcycles."

"Too many accidents," Charlie grunted, his face darkening. "I've had to see too many teenagers scraped off the road after they screw around on a motorcycle."

I nodded. "I'll be careful. I've been riding for a while, and it's not like Renée would let me just ride around like a maniac." Charlie smiled a little at that, and I gently tapped a fist against his shoulder. "I'll behave, Charlie, so don't worry about me."

He sighed, before rubbing the back of his neck. "You could be doing worse things," Charlie admitted, still looking a little disgruntled.

I gave him a mischievous smile and said, "Absolutely. I could be going out every night and shooting up drugs with my tattooed biker gang hubby."

Charlie's face was priceless as he spluttered, "Absolutely not!" I laughed and entered the kitchen. Charlie followed behind, pointing and Jacob and uttering, "Don't even think about getting a tattoo, or joining a biker gang."

Baffled, Jacob mumbled an agreement before Charlie left the kitchen. Staring after him, Jacob whispered to me, "What was _that_ about?"

"What I could be doing that's worse than driving a motorcycle," I told him, winking.

. . .

Seated on the beach, I reshaped the pile of sand that Jacob was creating. His shirtless back muscles strained as he dug deep and his skin shone with sweat. Carefully I shaped the sand, creating specific shapes and slowly detailing small things. I shaped the layout of the roads, lining small piles of sand along them and making houses out of them. In the center, I made a large mound that would later be shaped into the Hall. Around the city I made a wall, large and stern looking. On top, I lined the wall with wet, glittering rocks that caught the sun like glass. Jacob was idly putting the finishing touches on the wall surrounding the moat when I finally finished. Dusting my hands off, I proudly viewed my work. There, sculpted purely out of sand, stood the city of Idris. My heart swelled with bittersweet emotions as I looked across the sculpture of the Glass City.

Approaching my side, his footsteps muffled by the loose sand, Jacob looked on the _'sandcastle'_ I had created. "It's lovely, Bella," he said, his eyes missing the truth of what he saw.

Briefly my heart constricted as I realized that I was showing the Glass City, the home of all Nephilim, to a mundane. Fear constricted my throat, and I nearly trampled the creation I had worked so hard to make, just to protect its' secrets. But Idris was no longer my home, and it was harmless to show it to someone who would never see its' beauty. Shaking my head, I murmured a thanks to Jacob. I stared sadly across the city, allowing my mind to dream up images. There, on the side of the street, was the Penhallows' home. Further down was the home of the Lightwoods, their friends and my childhood companions. Two streets over was the Verlac house, home of my mother's family. The Wayland estates were outside of the city, but their city home was nestled nearby to the Verlac one. On the streets, I could see Jace and Isabelle and Alec, turning to smile at me, beckoning for me to catch up. My mother walked ahead with Phil, their hands clasped as they turned to smile at me. Light glanced off the wall, turning my vision to white.

"What city is this, Bella?" Jacob's voice floated into my ear, curious and harmless. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's not real," I whispered. "It's just something from a dream."

. . .

Ah, poor Bella. So far from home and missing it so! Anyways! I hope you all didn't mind the melancholic end too terribly. Bella is still very much in love with her life as a Shadowhunter, and she's still refusing to adjust to becoming a mundane. What do you all think she'll do next? Review and tell me, and whoever is the closest will win an imaginary cookie, and maybe even a cameo in the next chappie! :D

I updated quickly because I both love you, and because it's going to be a busy week of going back to school. That, and these are two pretty short chapters, and I feel lame for not writing more.

A side note is that I am trying to have my fanfic follow the basic storyline of Twilight and New Moon. Parts _will_ be altered to fit the new circumstances and the changes to characters, but mostly it follows the rough storyline. However, this doesn't mean there won't be any surprises ;)

And now, to respond to your reviews.

**Fairyfox:** I can't tell you, because that will ruin it! ;) But I will say that Jace and the others won't appear for another five chapters or so. Sit tight! 3

**Goddess of Discord and Cookies:** Bella's secret is revealed eventually, but not for another couple chapters.

**Alanna-Banana1987:** Haha, my dear, you always seem so frustrated with me ;) I'm cruel, yes, but be patient, things will pick up quickly.

**Magik Sause of Death: **Thanks for the review, dearie! Keep reading! 3

**Mrs. Carlisle Cullen 2007:** That heartens me! I'm glad my shorter version wasn't terrible!

**tamyyiia:** That would be an interesting match-up, with Jace vs. Edward... But fear not, a change in Bella's attitude is coming soon!

**Sol Swan Cullen:** My family and I are doing all right, but I'm not too sure on how much he suffered before he passed away. And I'm both apologetic and happy that you were moved to tears, and not because of my grammar mistakes. I've written Bella to be a little less melodramatic and a lot more poised, so most of her reactions will stay inward and eventually be used as motivation for her to do things. I didn't think to put it in Edward's POV, actually. You'll have to see if Bella goes after them or not. :)

Please continue to read and reviews, my dears. Your feedback is well appreciated and well loved.

~Meneme-chan


	10. Ghosts in my machine

I own nothing.

* * *

It was sometime towards the end of July that things fell apart without warning. During our usual days of fun and foolery, Jacob caught a fever. His skin burned bright and hot against my hand as I checked his temperature. Jacob gave me his lopsided smile as I dropped him off, promising me to get well soon so that we could build another sandcastle.

That had been a week ago. It was now the beginning of August, and I was growing more and more frantic with worry. I had called once a day, asking Billy about Jacob. His answers had always been short and vague, shunning my concerns. Sometimes I would catch Charlie watching me, his eyes sharp and worried, before he would compose his face again.

Finally, at the end of the week, I bit down my pride and went to talk to Jacob. My motorcycle was still in his house and no matter the reason he wasn't talking to me, I wanted it back. Tossing on my coat, I told Charlie I was going out and jogged out the door. Clambering into my beast of a truck, I slammed the door and started up the engine. It coughed and whined, before going into a steady roar. The drive to Jacob's house was stiff and rimmed with tense queries that ran through my head. Theories bustled about, half-formed and thoughtless. I dismissed the immediate thought that Jacob had died, because I knew that Charlie would have known. I was willing to bet that Jacob hadn't been bitten and turned by a vampire, since last I had seen him, he had only had a fever. Maybe it was a sort of thing that the Clave did, where people would be snatched away to participate in a confidential mission that required absolute secrecy. I would have to ask Charlie if mundane organizations did the same...

I pulled my truck into the Black's driveway, the roar of my engine alerting Billy to my presence. As I hopped out of my truck, Billy wheeled out to speak with me. His face was smoothed into a poised expression, but there was a darkness in it that I could read. "What brings you here, Isabella?" he asked, his black eyes lightless as he stared at me.

I clenched my jaw a little at the use of my full name. "I'm here to see Jacob, Billy. I was hoping to get a ride in while I was at it, seeing as he's got custody of my bike." I grinned shyly at him, but his expression did not change.

"Jacob's not up to seeing anyone right now, Isabella. I don't think he will be for a while," Billy said. Translation: Leave now and don't come back.

Calling upon the steel ingrained in me since birth, I said in my iciest tones, "Then I would be grateful to be able to take my motorcycle home with me."

His face flickered with surprise, before it smoothed over calmly and he nodded towards the garage. "Of course," he said, coolly. "If you would be kind enough to leave after that?"

I nodded curtly, making my way over to the garage. Billy's eyes burned into my back as I walked, but I did not look back. Pushing open the door to the garage, I breathed in the familiar scent of motor oil and metal. To my right was my motorcycle, colored in burgundy and chrome, next to Jacob's dark blue one. Swallowing the small lump of pain rising in my throat, I ran my hand through my hair and let out a sigh. Grabbing the handles of my motorcycle, I slowly began to wheel my motorcycle out of the garage. As I slowly left the garage where I had spent most of my summer, I did not pause to look back.

Billy had gone back into the house when he saw me exit the garage with my bike. I wheeled it over to my truck and undid the back latch, before hefting the bike up and hauling it into the truck bed. It took a while of heaving and pushing, but I was stubborn and strong from years of fighting. When I finished, I wiped my forehead free of sweat and moved to climb into the cabin of the truck, but froze at the sight of Jacob walking across the field towards his house. His hair was cropped short and his chest was bare and shirtless. Even from across the field, I could see the surprise and annoyance flashing in his eyes. Forgetting everything, I tentatively made my way towards Jacob.

"Jake?" I called, my voice coming out soft and tentative. I clenched my hands briefly, willing the steel back into my voice. He didn't answer me, but he stopped moving and simply stared at me. "Jacob," I said, taking a few steps towards him, willing my hands to stay at my side.

"What are you doing here, Bella?" His voice was cold and hard as he stared at me, his nostrils flaring with rage.

Inwardly recoiling, I set my jaw and said stubbornly. "It depends, really. I was here to see if you were even still alive from that fever, but your dad said you didn't want to see me. So I decided I might as well pick up my motorcycle if I'm not welcome back here."

His body stiffened and his arms snapped at his sides, his hands clenching into a fist. "You have no right..." he started, his voice low and trembling. Giving me a black stare, he started again, "You need to leave, Bella."

I stared at Jacob as if I had never seen him before. Everything about him, from his now short hair, to his even taller body, to the muscles that were forming on him were unfamiliar. The anger in his eyes threw me off, and it brought forth a wake of sadness. "Fine," I said softly, taking a few steps backwards, never taking my eyes off Jacob. Reaching backwards, my hand rested on the handle to my truck. "Maybe I'll see you around someday Jake." He stared me down, his lip curling and his posture curling into a silent sneer. "Maybe we can build another sandcastle again," I said, yanking open the door. Jacob turned away at that, and I took the time to get in and start up the truck. The engine roared to life without a protest and I drove away without a backwards glance. I wondered how many more times I would be torn away from the things that made me happy.

I drove to my house and parked. I went inside, where Charlie was waiting for me. I walked through the door, and he looked up, his face open and curious. "How'd it go?" he asked, his voice gruff.

I grimaced, a sour taste rising in my mouth. "It didn't," I said wryly. "Jacob never wants to see me again."

Charlie set down his paper, his brow beetling. "Why on Earth?" he asked, his face dark and his voice going into angry-father mode.

I shrugged, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Who knows why anyone does anything?" I asked rhetorically.

Charlie must have heard the bitterness in my voice, because he softened and approached me, gently wrapping me into a hug. We shared a silent moment, unfettered by words and ideas. The moment ended when he pulled away and huskily asked if I wanted pizza for dinner. He ordered the pizza and I pulled the motorcycle into the garage, out of sight from nosy neighbors.

After enduring two days of trying to find a spot in our limited garage space, Charlie finally gave up and asked if I knew a better place to put the motorcycle. I flippantly suggested my room, but a look from Charlie discouraged that. I finally suggested that I ride around looking for a spot, and Charlie reluctantly agreed.

I thought about leaving my motorcycle in the Cullen's old garage. I knew the code to their garage, having helped Emmett hide his messes in there in the past. The next day, I swung myself onto my motorcycle and drove away through the streets of Forks. I left the small town and entered the back roads, taking the driveway towards the Cullen's old house. Their house loomed ahead, the windows glinting dully in the August sunlight and I slowed my motorcycle to a stop. Approaching the garage, I opened the small panel that held the keypad and typed in the code. The garage rumbled as it opened and I stepped back cautiously. The garage was empty and dark.

Turning around, I swung my legs off the motorcycle and slowly wheeled it inside. My wheels left a track of dust and my footsteps kicked up small clouds of it. Ignoring the tickling in the back of my throat as I inhaled the dust, I put my motorcycle towards the back of the garage and leaned it against the wall. My hand still resting on the handlebars, I looked around the garage at the empty shelves and dust. There was a door leading into the house, beckoning me forward like a siren. Curiosity rose in my throat, undaunted by the memories this place was stirring up and I approached the door cautiously. Despite the fact that I knew the Cullen's were no longer here, I felt a sense of unease that usually accompanied me when I was searching lairs on a mission.

My hand tried the doorknob; it was unlocked. Pushing open the door, I slowly entered the house. My breathing, coupled with my footsteps, were the only things making a sound in the house. No flies buzzed, no voices sounded, no floorboards creaked. It was silent, and my skin prickled as my ears stayed pricked for any signs of danger. I padded through the downstairs, looking into the living room. There was furniture, but they were covered in thick white sheets which were graying with dust. The window provided little light as it shone on the large couch that faced the table which had housed a T.V. I remembered playing video games with Emmett on that couch, laughing as he taught me cheats to beat Edward at those games. Rosalie used to sit on the chair next to the couch, pretending to read her magazines but secretly watching us play, a small smile playing about her lips. Alice and Jasper would always sit on the love seat, Alice chirping out warnings and Jasper watching casually as we played. My fingers reached out towards the couch, remembering how close Edward had been seated next to me and the way his chill hadn't bothered me. My hand dropped to my side and I sighed a long, heavy sigh.

Turning, I went into the kitchen. The counters were still there, but all the appliances had been removed. The refrigerator was no longer there; not that the Cullens' had ever had much use for it. Sometimes, when I had stayed a long time, Esme would take the opportunity to cook for me. She made me elaborate dinners, filled with pastas and lasagnas. On the days that Esme wasn't there, Rosalie would happily experiment with me in the kitchen, Emmett hovering in the background and having a riot messing with the foods. I would let him taste whatever he wanted, but most times it ended up with Emmett gagging on the food and fleeing to empty his stomach. Rosalie would always tut under her breath as Jasper and Edward ran after Emmett, calling to him and teasing him. Alice would laugh her bright, high laugh and twirl away, predicting what Emmett would try next. There was the one time that we tried to make our own pizza. It tasted delicious to me, so much that even Jasper grew curious about how it tasted. Slowly the three boys had approached, muttering to each other and egging the other one on. I had cut up three little pieces and handed them each a piece, offering for them to eat it. They looked at the food with a mixture of inquisitiveness and distress. Together they took a bite, and their reactions were so violent that even Alice was startled. Edward and Jasper bolted for the woods, their eyes turning a sickly pale gold as they ran. Emmett was the only one who stayed, his gold eyes thoughtful as he smacked his lips. He said that although it had the texture of clay and the taste of tree bark and mud, it wasn't that bad. He thanked me for the piece and wandered after Edward, wanting to see their reactions firsthand. Rosalie had laughed, and Alice merely shook her head.

My hand traced along the counter, next to the gap where the stove had been. The granite was cool beneath my fingertips, a frozen source of strength and stability. Turning away, I allowed my fingers to fall away from the counter. I walked up the stairs, my footsteps echoing unnaturally loud through the house. The steps muffled the sound of my footsteps as I walked up them. The first room I peered into was the room that Rosalie and Emmett shared. Their bed was still there, stripped and covered with a white sheet. The night stand where Rosalie would set her magazines was no longer there; the flat-screen T.V. that Emmett owned was also gone. Their closet door was open and showing the bare contents of the closet. I sat briefly on the bed, looking around the bare room. There had been photographs hanging on the walls, beautiful portraits of Rosalie and Emmett together. Emmett's things were usually tucked into odd little places; his shoes under a chair, his jacket under Rosalie's book or his books even underneath a lamp. Those things were gone now, and the silence of the room was unnerving. Normally it was bustling with life or shaking with the sound of Emmett's booming laugh. Standing up, I dusted myself off and left their room.

Next, I drifted through Alice and Jasper's room. The large closet, once overflowing with Alice's clothes, was bare. The bookshelf, once hosting Jasper's huge collection of books, was now host to dust. Their bed was covered with the same white sheets and I sank down on them, watching the dust rise. Jasper had once sat on this very bed, not two feet from me, his nose buried in a book. Alice had shoved me behind the changing screen and thrown clothes to me, yelling instructions to me. I would change, and Jasper would look up as I walked out and calmly give his opinion. Sometimes Alice would throw strange outfits to me, to see if her husband was really paying attention. Once he blithely complimented my clownish outfit, and Alice never let him live it down. Just before spring, Alice had given me a large dress to wear. It was beautiful and reminiscent of the Antebellum era, with a wide skirt and lace gloves. When I walked out from behind the screens, Jasper's eyes filmed over with nostalgia. Dreamily he got up and bowed over my proffered hand and drawling in his Southern accent that it was a delight to meet me. I had curtseyed, smiling and demurring his compliments. Smiling, he had taken my hands and placed them, one in his larger hand and one on his broad shoulder, before placing his free hand on my waist. Twirling me as if I were lighter than air, he hummed a waltz to me. I had laughed, dancing with him and spinning around Alice's room as if I were nothing more than a figurine on a music box. There was no humming now, no song to dance to and no gown to dance in. The room was empty, save for my memories of it.

Heart heavy, I heaved myself up from the bed and left for the one room I was torn to see. Slowing, I unconsciously raised my hand to knock on the door before catching myself. Clenching my hand into an even tighter fist, I released a sharp breath and pushed open the door to Edward's room. The gold rug had been taken away, removing part of the golden glow that had been about the room. Covered with a white sheet, Edward's couch was the solitary piece of furniture in his room. His shelves, built into the wall and once hosting an armada of music, were bare and lonely. I remembered how proud Edward was of his collection, the timbre of his voice as he eagerly talked of the different styles of each time period. His love was the classics, but the way he ran his hand across his jazz vinyls told of a different love affair with those. His smile was infectious when he talked about his music and the worry dropped from his shoulders, making him years younger. He'd talk for hours about his music and I would listen, for the love of music and for my love of him. Sometimes he'd forget himself and talk until the sun went down and I would grow cold. Then he'd give a guilty start and reach for a jacket in his closet to give me, to keep me warm. Now, the closet doors were meticulously closed, and as I approached them, I could smell the soft, clean scent of Edward. Closing my eyes briefly, I willed my hands forward to meet the handles. Pulling, I found myself staring into his empty closet. Nothing remained of him, no clothing or notes or anything. I pushed the closet shut slowly and turned away, making my way towards his couch. I sat down, hard, on the cushioned seat of the sofa.

Burying my face in my hands, my shoulders shook as I grieved. Edward had been wrong, so very wrong. He had promised to make it as if he had never existed, and he had done his best to uphold that promise. There were few signs that anyone had ever lived in this remotely situated house; only the furniture and gathering dust hinted that this house had once been inhabited some time ago. It was abandoned, without a brushing of personality or life to comfort me and reassure me that it had all been so very real. I still had my memories, memories of each place that made this place real to me. And Edward couldn't take away the memories I had, the memories that gave this place an echo of life. There, called from my mind, was the sound of Emmett's laugh booming through the house. I could hear the chime of Alice's voice, chattering about high fashion with Rosalie, whose soft alto was a calming tone to Alice's energy. Jasper was rustling through the pages of a book, debating the symbolism with Carlisle, who had met the writer. Esme was humming to herself as she worked in the garden, and Edward was playing his piano. The sounds of my lullaby were so familiar and real that I jerked upright from my seat on Edward's couch, my limbs scrambling as I ran towards the stairs. My feet pattered down the stairs, past the echoes of Alice and Rosalie, climbing the stairs towards Alice's room, where she wanted to show Rosalie a new design she had created. I ran between the ghosts of Jasper and Carlisle, still locked in an intellectual battle, and I ran through Emmett, who dissipated around me with a last echo of his laugh. But I was running faster, towards the strains of the melody that Edward used to play for me. I skidded into the round, open room that housed Edward's piano, the melody growing painfully in my ears. As I stopped dead at the sight of the room, the last notes drifted into a dull hum. Edward was not in the room, but the piano was there. It was covered with a thick white sheet, making it seem small and vulnerable.

I approached the piano, seating myself reverently on the barely visible stool. This was the only thing that absolutely tied Edward to this place. He had loved his piano wholeheartedly, playing it every day. My fingers brushed the wood through the sheet, and I collapsed my head into my arms against the piano. My shoulders shook with the force of my wanting, and my throat burned like a fire. Even now, with this tangible piece of Edward here, it wasn't enough. On an impulse, I pulled up a corner of the fabric and revealed the dark wood of the piano. It shone darkly and glimmered with a knowing light. My hands trembled, and I nearly cried again. Memories rose up, tangling themselves into a painful knot. Memories of Edward playing my lullaby as I leaned against him, of my mother at my side, teaching me to play a difficult piece, of Jace at my side, his steady warmth matched by the steady beauty of duet he played with me. Rising to an unbearable pitch, the pain surrounded me, clamoring for relief. Nothing would ever be enough to cloak the loss of being a Shadowhunter, and nothing could replace it. I had tried so hard, both with friends and a lover, to replace that loss that I felt, but it had failed.

Tearing myself away from the piano, I bolted out of the garage. Hitting the button to close the door, I leapt over the sensors and took off down the driveway, hearing the garage groaning shut behind me.

I ran. I ran like I never had before. I blindly pushed my way through trees and undergrowth alike, picking myself up whenever I fell and not slowing, even when I stumbled. I couldn't escape the prison of this mundane life, a life that I had never known nor wanted. All I wanted was to be a Shadowhunter, to fight alongside Jace and Isabelle and all of my friends. Edward had silenced that wanting for a while, but he couldn't silence the need entirely. It would whisper to me at night, taunting me and breaking me. I gnawed at my memories of being a Nephilim like a starving dog would gnaw at a bone. Many nights I went to bed early, hoping to dream of anything of my past life. When Edward had left, it had ripped the blindfold off of my wanting to be one. It was a raw feeling, like pins and needles as I was awakened to an old desire. Then Jacob had come along, bright and beautiful in his own warm way. He had dulled the wanting and distracted it with his smiles and sandcastles. And as I had warmed myself to the sun of his smile, I had begun to untangle the longing and the needing, only to find that the need for me to be a Shadowhunter was overwhelming.

This need filled me as I ran, overwhelming my senses. I felt little pain as a branch whipped across my face, nor did I feel the sting of my muscles as I pushed them past their mundane limits. I tore through the forest, not stopping to figure out where I was. I just knew where I was running to, and I was running towards the place that I now called home. I could see it looming through the spaces between trees, and I ran faster, pushing my body past any broken limitations. I only slowed when I reached the front porch as I caught sight of my reflection. I smoothed my hair and brushed the leaves and twigs out of my hair, before shoving the front door open. The panic was still coursing through me, and I called an excuse to Charlie, telling him I found a place but I needed some time alone. I ran up the stairs, not even processing his answer as I charged into my room.

Sinking to my knees, I tugged and pulled up the wooden board that had hidden my things. My hands scrabbled as they pulled up the bags of weapons and my quiver. Plunging my hand into my bag, I pulled out seraph blades and knives before my fingers finally met something cool and round. I knew what it was before I even pulled it out, my fingers knowing the slippery texture by heart. Cradling it in my palm, I held the stele as one would hold a child. My eyes sank halfway closed, and I held the stele in my hand, poised and well-practiced. My blood was screaming through my veins, violently reacting to the presence of the stele. Without a second thought, my fingers began to draw the rune that every Shadowhunter had, the rune that gave them sight. It burned against my skin with a familiar prickle that made my muscles slump into relaxation. I could smell the faint charred smell that came from the stele marking my skin, and my whole body slumped into relaxation. Bliss overcame my senses, and I drifted into a dreamlike state.

When I came to, the stele was still held in my right hand. The mark for sight was drawn on the underside of my wrist, and I gingerly traced it with my fingertips. The skin was pink and tender around the mark, feeling raw and new under my prying fingers. I let out a breath, leaning my head against the base of my bed. My head was clear now, clearer than it had been for months. I knew I couldn't survive without being a Nephilim, and it was something I knew I would have to take up with the Clave soon. There were flaws in their logic over my banishment, and it was something I was willing to point out, despite the possible dangers. I had to be what I was, not what I was told to be. Staring moodily at the stele, I vowed that I would never live without the truest form of myself again: my Nephilim side.

Standing, I held the stele in my hand and made my way downstairs. The sky outside was growing darker, but a few strands of sunlight hit the stele as I walked, throwing flashes of light onto the walls I walked down the stairs. Entering the living room, I spotted Charlie on the couch and made my way to stand in front of him. Looking up, he read the look on my face and muted the television. He spotted the stele in my hand and I turned my wrist out for him to see. His face grew tight and grim, and I said softly, "You know what my mother is, Charlie. And that means you know what I am."

He nodded, his face dark. "Nephilim," he said. There was a pause, and he continued. "When you contacted me to come live with me, I wondered if you had escaped the bloodline that made you one of them."

"It's impossible for me to have," I said softly. "Shadowhunter blood is dominant."

Charlie's face was bitter. "And it was impossible for your mother to have stayed with me, especially since it wasn't known that I was your father?" he asked harshly.

I nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "To marry a mundane is forbidden. She would have had to leave the Clave to stay with you, and leaving is not easy. You are forbidden to even contact other Shadowhunters again and you cannot summon the Clave, not even for emergencies. I do not think she could have borne tearing herself away from her entire life like that." My voice was gentle, and some of the harshness left Charlie's face.

"I knew Renée had good reasons for leaving, but it still seemed so unfair. It still is," he added. His eyes looked brighter than ever as he said quietly, "And it seems that the Clave will take you away from me as well."

I walked around the coffee table and sat down next to Charlie, taking his hands in mine. "The Clave does not want me at the moment," I told him. "But I must beg you, let me be a Shadowhunter again."

His hand jerked out of mine as he stared at me, wide-eyed. "You want to go back?" he choked out, hurt plain on his face. "You want to leave so badly?"

Guilt swelled in me and I tightened my grip on his hand. "No, I don't want to leave you, Daddy. But I can't bear not being a Shadowhunter."

"You want to fight demons and nearly be killed every time you go out?" Charlie asked, his tone sharp and reproachful.

I took a harsh breath, trying to think of how to word it properly. "You love being Police Chief, right?" I asked, startling Charlie. He nodded after a while, and I went on. "Imagine if one day they came up to you and told you that you couldn't be Police Chief anymore, or even a policeman. Imagine they said that it was because of the fact that they didn't like your parents, so you had to leave. They make you sit inside all day, telling you that you cannot work or do the things you love. You have to leave all of your friends and family and you have to start over in some foreign town. They'll be watching you, making sure you don't do anything that is to do with being a police officer. And now you're alone, torn away from everything you've ever loved and forced to start over." Tears were welling in my eyes, but I blinked them away. "Try and imagine that, Dad. And that's how I feel, but worse. I'm being denied my birthright, not just my occupation. I'm being denied my friends and family and my way of life." A few tears escaped, pouring over my cheeks and I harshly wiped them away with my free hand. "I can't stand it anymore, Daddy."

Charlie's face softened entirely, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears and his shoulders tightening. Leaning forward, he kissed my forehead, his mustache rough against my brow as he whispered, "Do what you have to do, honey." Tears poured over my cheeks and I sobbed into his shoulder, relieved and tired and happy, all at once. "Do what makes you happy."

As I wrapped my arms around him in a hug, I tightened my grip on the stele so hard that my fingers hurts. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice broken by soft sobs. "Thank you."

* * *

Oh my Angel, Bella is becoming a Shadowhunter again!

On a faintly related note, I finished Clockwork Angel recently. Thank goodness, because that really helped with my explanation of how Bella has been banished. I _will_ explain the why, but not in this chapter. Some of you might guess it, but who knows? ;)

To respond to your lovely comments:

**Goddess of Discord and Cookies:** Haha, I'm glad you guessed that she was building Idris. I was hoping it wouldn't be too random. Charlie is okay with the motorcycles because although he does know a bit about being a Shadowhunter, he recognizes that Bella is an adult and that she is strong enough to handle it. (She's got a killer death stare, I'll tell you that!)

**tamyyiia:** I'm glad you look forward to my updates, and I wish I could update sooner (curse this school schedule!). I hope Bella gets back in too ;)

**Magik Sause of Death:** Jacob returns either in the next update or the one after that, depending on whether or not I think that the next chapter is long enough. Probably in two chapters, however, because next chappie is going to involve Bella as a Shadowhunter.

**Alanna-Banana1987:** Four chapters to go, dearie. Hang in there!

**Mrs. Carlisle Cullen 2007:** Bella is going to work on becoming a legal Nephilim again, but you never know what the Clave will decide on.

**Sol Swan Cullen:** Bella can be very touchy about her full name being used and it tends to invoke some of her Shadowhunter-like personality traits. And yes, Isabella is coming back. :) Perhaps I'll throw a welcome home party for her...

**seriousobsession:** The Cullens will make a reappearance in Chapter Thirteen, so three chapters until Edward makes his grand re-entrance. Whether they end up together is entirely up to Isabella :)

Thank you for all of your reviews! Keep 'em up, I love reading them! Fodder for writers and all that.

~Meneme-chan


	11. Demons in Seattle

I own nothing.

* * *

The rain dropped down like a steel-wool blanket over Seattle. The blacktop was as reflective as a mirror, warped by the rippling effect of the rain. Beneath my feet, the concrete was slick and dangerous, threatening to topple me off the roof on which I was perched. Ten stories below me, the figures walked, their colored umbrellas bright against the gray of the pavement. Their destination was a nightclub that I had been staking out for weeks, hoping to understand the rumors I had heard about strange occurrences there. I narrowed my eyes and focused intently on the last straggler in the group. His umbrella was black, but even it's shadow could not hide the glamours that I was seeing through.

Slithering over the edge of the building, I gripped hard to the wall that was covered by shadows and shimmied down a few stories. When I got to what was roughly the fourth story, I pushed myself away from the wall and flipped myself over. I spiraled once through the air, before landing on my feet. I staggered slightly, scowling and blaming the water. It was lucky Jace wasn't here to see my graceless landing; I would have never lived that down.

Tying my hair back and twisting it into a knot, I ducked behind a dry area near the dumpster and pulled out a change of clothes. Ducking into them, I changed quickly into a revealing red dress. I slipped a thigh sheath on and wrapped my electrum whips around my wrists like bracelets, a trick I learned from Izzy. Slipping a blessed iron anklet on above my dangerously high heels, I clomped off through puddles and jogged to catch up with my target. He was in line, three people in as I got in line. The bouncer was checking his I.D., but I saw the bouncer's eyes glaze over as he nodded for the boy to enter. I waited impatiently, and the bouncer gave me a stern look as I handed him my fake card (I was so glad Izzy had insisted on finding me one in New York). He looked at me curiously, as if he couldn't believe I was twenty one. As if on cue, I undid my hair and let it fall around my face in messy, wet curls. His expression became placid and he gestured for me to go inside. Winking at him and wiggling my fingers, I walked daintily inside.

The club was packed, with people ranging from wall to wall. My eyes skimmed the crowds, looking for the boy. I spotted him by the bar, chatting with a pretty barmaid. His eyes reflected gold in the lights, and I smirked to myself. Easy prey.

Making my way through the crowd, I sauntered my way to the counter and leaned against it, propped my arms on it and curving my body out and away from it. Smiling sweetly at the barmaid, I ordered a screwdriver and turned to the boy. I gave him a once over, drinking in the details of his body. He was tall and muscular, with perfect features and flawless wavy black hair. I smiled at him, fluttering my eyelashes a bit and turning my body towards him. "What brings you here?" I asked softly, pitching my voice low and smooth.

He leaned against the counter, displaying his overly perfect body. "Looking for a good time," he said, flashing a smile in my direction. In the flash of the strobe light the glamour melted away, revealing the serrated edges of his teeth to me. "What about you?"

I tossed my hair back and trilled out a cute laugh that would have made Izzy proud. "I'm just hoping to forget a hard week, baby."

His smile was sharp as he leaned close to me and murmured in my ear, "How about letting me help you with that?" I caught the double meaning in his words, but I let it slide.

Downing the screwdriver drink that the bartender slid me, I slapped a bill on the counter and took the young man's hand and lead him towards the dance floor, telling him with a sly smile: "I thought you'd never ask."

I began to dance and he fell into rhythm with me, his hands and body a ghost near mine. I twined myself around him, coiling like a serpent and slithering away every time his hands tried to explore me. His smile was cold as he spoke directly into my ear, purring out things that mundane girls lost their heads over. I smiled and fluttered my eyelashes, allowing my body to react slightly, to entice him. His hand enveloped mine as he lead me away from the dance floor.

His walk was jaunty and self-assured as he guided me towards the back rooms. No doubt an incubus like him would be bursting with pride at such an easy conquest, let alone such a pretty one. His smile was sharp as he pushed open a door, his hand on my back as he drew me close. He nuzzled the side of my neck and breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of a new conquest.

"I never caught your name," I whispered, twining my arms around his neck.

"It's Beliliovitch," he whispered, his voice as gravelly as broken glass. _Son of Belili, in Russian, or the son of Lilith. Incubus._ "What's your name, my sweet?"

"Isabella Wayland," I murmured, and his body stiffened. Slipping a blade from my thigh sheath, I pressed it to his throat and maneuvered him against a wall. His eyes flashed in surprise as I leaned closer and said softly, "And you know what I am, incubus."

"Nephilim," he spat, and I smiled slyly at him.

"You know what happens next?" I asked, my voice still sweet.

"You try to kill me," he whispered back. "But you can't if you're dead." With a sudden slash at my face, the incubus threw me backwards into the wall.

Ignoring the ringing in my ears, I lunged after him, my blade a flash of light as I threw it straight into his shoulder. He hissed at me, teeth bared in an ugly leer as he ripped the knife blade from his body. Black blood dripped from it, hissing onto the ground. "You filthy bitch," he snarled, his body distorting. Claws began to grow from his fingertips, matched by the sharpening of his teeth. He struck me again, knocking me into the wall so hard that I felt the wall dent against me. "See how cocky you are when I slaughter every girl in Seattle," he cackled, his voice sharp and slick.

He darted towards the door, his body rippling and flying together in an imitation of a human-like run. Unwrapping the electrum whip from my wrist, I lashed it at the demon. The golden cord hummed through the air, snaking around his waist and burning into his flesh. As he howled in pain, I flicked my wrist back and sent him crashing into the opposite wall. Pulling a seraph blade from my sheath, I softly named it and held it tightly in my right hand. "Tell your other carrion friends to stay out of Washington," I told him, before twisting the blade and plunging it into his chest.

HIs eyes widened and turned white, leaving only his too-wide pupils staring at me. Black acidic blood poured from his mouth, pooling around him and burning the mundane clothes he was wearing. He choked, a sound of shattering windows, and then he began to fold in on himself. I averted my eyes from the scene, waiting for him to finish returning to his dimension. When he was gone, I picked up my small throwing blade from where he had flung it. It was surprisingly whole after the demon blood it had been doused in, but incubus blood wasn't too detrimental. Wandering around the room, I picked up all of my weapons and tried to wipe them off. It didn't work, so I simply cursed under my breath and looked for an available exit.

There was a small window, placed high up on the wall. It was tinted and dusty, but it was enough. Wrapping the electrum whip back around my wrist and tucking the seraph blade back into my sheath, I held my throwing knife in my hand and scrambled up the wall towards the ledge. Hovering on the edge, I shoved the window open and peeked outside. There was a small, narrow alley way outside, in between the club and a business building. Squeezing myself through the window (it was barely big enough for my head and shoulders to get through) and vowing to get myself back in shape, I slipped quietly into the alleyway. Rain began to fall on my head immediately and I held out my knife, letting the rain wash away the blood.

I slipped down the alleyway, taking great pains to stay quiet and unnoticed. I slipped away, past the doormen and towards the small alleyway where I had hidden my bag of clothes with a glamour. I changed again, sighing in relief as I redressed myself in my typical fighting gear. The red dress I had worn was halfway ruined, but I really didn't care. I reluctantly shoved it into my bag, thinking that I would probably be able to use it again someday. Scrawling a few glamours onto my arms, I trotted out of the alleyway and towards the abandoned warehouse that I found. I slipped through the windows and unlocked the door as I went, before running upwards to grab my motorcycle. I drove outside and took off. The engine had been revamped so that it was nearly silent as I drove.

I drove fast and hard, making the trip back home to Forks in less than an hour. It was nearly midnight as I pulled up to my driveway and unbuckled my helmet. I pushed the motorcycle to the side of the house and hid it under a tarp, too tired to drive it to the Cullen's for storage. I let myself back into the house, trying my best to be quiet and not to wake Charlie. I then found that it's rather hard to not wake someone who has stayed awake, waiting for you to come home.

"It's rather late at night, Bella," Charlie said softly from the living room. I swallowed nervously and made my way to the room. He was seated in his chair, a book laying open in his lap as he stared at me. I shuffled nervously from foot to foot, and he asked quietly, "How was the hunt?"

"Good," I said quietly, peering up at him through my wet hair. "I tracked an incubus that had been preying on girls at a nightclub and sent him back to his dimension." _A nice way of saying that I slew the incubus._

Charlie nodded, grunting. "You didn't get hurt, did you?" The concern in his voice was nearly obscured by the gruffness of his tone.

I thought of my aching back, sore from when the incubus had thrown me into a wall a few times. My wrist was a little raw from the rubbing of the electrum whip, which had some traces of the demon's blood on it. Nothing an _iratze_ couldn't cure. "Nope," I told him.

Charlie's mustache twitched in a smile. "Good," he said, sounding sincerely pleased. His eyes took in my wet-rat appearance, and he said, "Why don't you go take a shower before going to bed?"

I nodded gratefully before tromping up the stairs, my boots heavy and loud as they echoed harshly against the wood floors. In the bathroom, I stripped down and scrutinized my body, looking for any obvious wounds. I scrawled an_ iratze_ on my wrist and back, before rechecking my body. The sting of the marks began to ease the pains I felt, and I saw no injuries on my lean body. Satisfied, I hopped into the shower and let the hot water pour over me.

Half an hour later, I was collapsing onto my bed and falling into a deep, sweet sleep.

. . .

The next afternoon (I had woken up at noon) I decided to ride my motorcycle back to the Cullen's house. I rode slowly, savoring the August sunlight. It was humid today, the air sticky and hot after the storm last night. By the time I reached the Cullen's old house, my skin was sticky and flushed. I opened the garage door and wheeled my motorcycle inside. There were tracks from where I had pushed my motorcycle in and out of their garage, and footsteps from where I had walked to but never through the door leading to their house. I approached the door, as I always did, but my hand reached out and rested on the doorknob. It was cool under my touch, inviting me forward. Part of me quailed, but the rest of me surged upwards in pride. I was a Nephilim again; there was no reason for me to shirk away from such a simple task.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside. The house was as quiet as it had been when I had left it, it's dusty halls muted and gutted. My feet padded lightly through the halls, producing not echo on the lonely, dusty floors. I called a shy greeting, but it too fell upon silence, it's echo greedily devoured by the dusty halls. It seemed that even the sound had left this place.

I walked through the house, drifting as I had before. I paused at the foot of the staircase and allowed my hand to rest on the wooden railing. I did not hesitate to ascend the staircase, my feet creating soft puffs of dust as I walked. I drifted towards Rosalie and Emmett's room, taking in the still sight of the white sheeted bed. My body drifted through the room, looking for something, anything that would hint that they had lived there. Only my memories answered and I sighed, defeated, before going to Edward's room. It was as bare as before, the music gone from his shelves and gone from the very fibers of the room itself. There used to be a golden beauty to this room, reminding me of the topaz glimmer of his eyes. Nothing but washed out colors greeted me, and even the memories of Edward seemed faded. I left his room, a sour taste in my mouth as I went towards Alice and Jasper's room.

The bookshelf was now covered in dust, and I pressed my fingertips to a shelf, remembering the sheen of the book's spines as Jasper had perused them. His hands would pluck a book from the shelf, tender as he cradled it in his hands and soft as he would surrender the book to me, allowing me to gently look through it's pages. My fingers left imprints in the dust, a ghostly imprint of where I had been. I approached Alice's closet, opening the doors wide as I looked through it. At first, I saw nothing, not even a hanger or a thread on the floor. But when I craned my neck upwards, up to where Alice had stored other things, I caught sight of the tip of what looked like a plastic bag. Stretching on the tips of my toes, I dragged the bag off of the shelf and set it on the ground and sat next to it. My fingers cautiously opened the bag, probing into it and brushing against thick paper. I pulled out a small wad of photographs, my fingers slipping across the slick surfaces. Under my fingertips were photos I had taken of Edward, photographs of times we had shared. Unconsciously I sank closer to the pictures, my breath catching in my throat. There were the pictures of us at prom, my golden dress catching the light and bringing out the gold of Edward's eyes. There were pictures of us, holding hands or his arms wrapping around me and holding me close. I shuffled through the photographs, watching a different life of mine flood before my eyes.

When I had looked through all of the photographs, I gently put them back into the bag and returned it to the top shelf. The pictures had stirred up memories, but they no longer ached as they used to. It was another, happy life I had lead that I saw in these pictures, but it was no longer the only happiness I had.

Closing Alice's closet, I turned and went back downstairs. As I descended the last step, I glanced to the side and saw the room that housed the piano. I walked down that hallway and went to the instrument, standing in the doorway and drinking in the sight of it. It stood where it always had been, but unlike any of the other things, it was disturbed. The covering was still mussed from when I had last dared to enter the house. I approached the piano reverently, like a pilgrim to a shrine. I brushed my fingertips across the covering, leaving trails in the dust that had accumulated once more on it. Seized by an impulse, I ripped the covering off the piano in a cloud of dust. My hand reached out, brushing against the wood covering the keys. I opened the cover and stared at the ivory keys. Dust motes floated through the air and a few settled on the piano keys. The only way to keep the dust away was to play, that's what my mother always used to tell me...

I seated myself on the bench and settled down, straightening my back. My hands rose and posed themselves automatically on the keys, the muscles knowing what to do. I tapped my foot for beat, in time with some unheard metronome. One an invisible signal, my fingers darted across the keys, creating a melody that was only known to the Nephilim musicians. I could hear my mother in the back of my mind, clapping her hands in time as she called instructions to me. Memories of my childhood gathered in my head like water in a well, waiting to be drawn out. Memories of days spent at the piano, stubbornly piecing together the melody until it could burst out as music. Memories of Jace, his smile bright and his eyes burning as he played alongside me, laughing whenever I made a mistake. Even thoughts of Edward, his slender, pale hands stretching across the keys and coaxing out a melody.

The memories I had poured out into the song, filling the song with the bittersweet taste of life. The sound rang out into the house, stirring the cobwebs and dust. I played for hours, until the sun moved into the windows and glared at me over the tops of the trees, threatening to throw itself under the horizon. The keys beneath my fingers retained a bit of the warmth I had shared as I played, and the strings inside the piano still hummed softly with the last strains of the my final song. Gently I drew the covering across the piano, like a mother would tuck in her child. Impudently I left the seat out, a little farther than it had originally been, for the sake of change mixed with the promise that I would return.

When I closed the garage door behind me, I breathed in the sticky air that draped over me like a hot blanket, so different from the stale air of the house. Smiling to myself, I walked back home. The sun was sinking below the horizon when I arrived home, where Charlie was cooking something on the stove. I entered the kitchen and began to cook with him, our quiet conversation joining in the bubble of the stew on the stovetop and the murmur of the television commentaries about the latest game. As I set the table and Charlie put the meal on the table, I smiled at my father and mentally thanked the Angel for the life that filled this house.

* * *

Awww, wasn't that a feel-good chapter? I felt that the story needed a little of a pick-me-up and a slight break from all the hectic changes in Bella's life. I hope you didn't mind this chapter (Yes, it was a bit fluffy, I know. But who can resist a demon-slaying/piano-playing/Jace references chapter?). The pictures of Bella's club outfit are on my profile under the small section about the Ink on Your Back pictures. I updated a little early because I tend to just update whenever I finish the chapter. It's within two days, right?

And now, to get to your awesome reviews!

**Olivia The Bookworm: **I'm glad you liked how she went through the Cullen house. :)

**seriousobsession:** Yes, it is a good thing indeed. I think Bella would lose her head if she couldn't be a Shadowhunter. There might be a fight scene or two in the next couple chapters, but I'm not too sure. It's really up to Bella :)

**TheAFanFicWriter:** To the first two questions, you'll have to wait the three chapters until this story wraps up. Jace will appear in the story, but not until the ending. Edward does come back, and Jacob is making a reappearance in the next chapter.

**tamyyiia:** Thank you! And yes, school is a pain at times. These schedules can get so crazy!

**addicted-2-oxygen:** Thank you! I'm glad you like it. Jace appears and Isabelle and Alec make a brief appearance at the end. There will be a sequel, however, where the three of them will be main characters throughout the story. Magnus will have his moments, because he's just that awesome. :)

**Mrs. Carlisle Cullen 2007: **Yes, Bella is becoming a Shadowhunter again, and she's very thrilled to be able to go back. :)

**MPDinNYC126: **Thank you! I'm following the plotline for New Moon very loosely, but I won't do the same ending. I'm not going to follow eclipse very closely in the next one, but I will keep the very basic plot structure of it. If Bella and Edward did get back together, their child would be very strange. I'm not too sure if Bella would survive giving birth, because as a Shadowhunter, she wouldn't be keen on being turned into a vampire. I think their child would probably be similar to what Stephanie Meyers wrote it as, but who knows? The child would probably be very talented at fighting, but it wouldn't be allowed in the Clave since it is half-Downworlder. Bella met Clary briefly before she was banished, but she mostly knows her as Jace's friend. Bella heard a little about Simon, but she never had the chance to fully meet him. She'd probably recognized Clary if she met her again, but she doesn't know Simon well enough to recognize him.

**Magik Sause of Death:** The pairing at the beginning was Bella/Edward. They broke up, though, so right now there really is no pairing. The sequel, however, will have a different pairing, and maybe even two pairings. But who knows? ;)

Thank you all for the reviews! I love hearing from you guys, and I would love to get more! I know there's more of you reading, so let's hear from you! 3

~Meneme-chan


	12. D&D Dogs and Demons

Characters belong to Stephanie Meyers and Cassandra Clare. I only wish I could own Jace.

* * *

After horus of cajoling and pleading with my father, I finally convinced Charlie to allow me to do patrols around Forks. He was worried that the Clave would catch wind of a Shadowhunter in Forks and they would figure out that I was disobeying them. It was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. Not only was I having only mild success in Seattle (must be something in the water), but I was like a racehorse idling in a pasture, champing at the bit and ready to go. I was so bored sitting at home every evening that I drove both myself and Charlie mad with my fidgety ways. After having to endure hours of me moping on the couch while he watched sports, Charlie finally agreed to let me out. With that, I was free.

Every evening, the world around me was nestled in my hands. The sounds of my feet, leaping and darting through the forest startled birds from their perches. No shadow was left untouched as I ran; nothing went unseen from my sharp eyes.

So it was only a matter of time before I ran into _them_.

It was late afternoon when I ran across the first signs of them. Their paw prints were huge, bigger than any animal I had seen. I crouched into the loam, the soft scent of dirt and clay rising into my nostrils as I sank down, my fingertips tracing the outline of the tracks. Their shape told me that they were made by wolf-like creatures, but much bigger than what I had ever come across. I flicked through the known list of demons, but I knew of very few wolf-demons and none that lived in this area. Chewing absently on my bottom lip, I wondered at what could have made these tracks.

To sate my curiosity, I followed the tracks. They became fresher and fresher as I ran, with some broken twigs still dripping sap as I neared them. And in the clearing that Edward had once taken me to, I found them. Six gigantic wolves were in the clearing, sitting in a semi-circle around one wolf. He was slender and gray-furred, with a worldly look about him. Despite the fact that he was not the biggest, nor did he look the strongest, he seemed to wield an authority over the others. The other wolves were of varying colors; one was a hulking wolf with beautiful russet fur.

Ducking behind a tree, I observed the wolves in total silence. They made no sounds, but they appeared to be communicating. _Shared telepathy?_ Their huge heads would swing back and forth as they contemplated each other, most often with their eyes focused on the gray one. The russet furred one, when put under the blaze of the other wolves' eyes, scratched idly at his neck with a front back, as if to rub the back of his neck in awkwardness. My eyes narrowed on them as my mind raced. There had been rumors, among the Nephilim, of half-werewolves. They had the ability to change into wolf-form whenever they pleased, and they shared a power of telepathy. Philip had reasoned that they were descendants of half-human, half-shapeshifters that had been born in a Native American tribe out west. He had forgotten the exact name of the tribe, but I was willing to bet that it was the Quileute.

Taking a long, soft breath, I exited the safety of the trees and slowly approached the wolves. My purposely loud footsteps alerted them to my presence, and I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender. "Hello," I called to them. "My name is Isabella, and I don't want any trouble. I wish to speak with your leader," at this, I nodded to their leader. "I know you can understand me, and I'd like to discuss some manners of business with you." Having said my piece, I seated myself on the grass and waited.

The wolves looked to one another, their eyes flashing about and their fangs baring as they wordlessly expressed their opinions. Finally, the leader nodded his head towards me and padded his way into the middle of the pack. They congealed around him, shielding him from my gaze. There was a pause and the sound of fabric rustling, before the sound of feet on the grass reached my ears. Emerging from the circle, Sam Uley stared down at me.

"What is it that you want, Bella?" he asked, his voice rough and deep.

Slowly getting up, I said, "I'd like to offer up a treaty with your pack, Sam Uley."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you have that we would possibly need?" he asked, his tone haughty.

I extended my wrists, showing him my Marks. "I am a Nephilim," I told him. "I have been hunting demons as long as I have been able to withstand the Marks. I know how to track them, how to catch them and how to kill them. If any were to venture into Forks, I could help you immensely."

Sam's eyebrows went up. "A Nephilim?" he repeated incredulously. "They are myths."

"You're one to talk," I said with a derisive laugh. "You're a shapeshifter that can become a wolf. And you're not even a warlock."

"Why would we be?" Sam asked, looking alarmed.

"Most of the time, warlocks are the only ones able to change shape. Werewolves can, but you are not true werewolves. You are not demons who change shape, either, so you are something in between." My eyes burned steadily into his. "Just as I am something between human and angel."

Sam tilted his head, peering at me thoughtfully. "Why would you want to join us? You may be able to use us as demon-slayers, but you could do that by yourself," he asked, his face thoughtful and free of any implications.

I gave him a wry smile as I said, "It gets lonely, being the only one to patrol my home. You have each other, but I have been alone on my haunts. It would be easier and safer if I had someone with me."

Sam looked at me hard, his face closed and calculating. "Let me speak with my pack," he said suddenly.

I inclined my head. "Take as much time as you need," I told him. He returned to the pack and was swallowed up in a flurry of fur and movements.

As they immersed themselves in a silent argument, I began to idly inspect my Marks and my weapons. I counted the notches on my blade and rubbed out the scratches, I checked my seraph blades and I restrung my bow. I checked my arrows for any warping, and I began to straighten the feathers.

There was a snarl, and I turned to see two wolves squaring off against each other. One was the russet wolf I had noticed before, and the other was so gigantic that it seemed to block out the sun. They lunged at each other, their jaws snapping at each other and their claws lashing at each other. Sam seemed to be trying to command them to stop, but they paid him no heed. Tightening the greaves around my wrists, I leapt forward and landed in between the two. The russet one slowed, but the larger of the two tried to continue his assault around me. A good shove to the chest deterred him, and seemed to infuriate him further. He leapt forward again, with me as his target. The russet wolf moved to defend me, but I ducked the larger one's attack. He came at me again, but I dodged again, getting a scratch to the arm in the process. Patience wearing thin, I whipped out a seraph blade and shouted, "_Ithuriel!_" There was a blaze of light as the seraph blade came to life in my hands. I waved it in his face, startling him backwards. "Enough!" I shouted at him. "You've had your fun, now stop acting like a child!" He sank low, looking both irate and guilty. The blood began to seep from my upper arm, but I paid it no heed. "From what I can tell, your leader told you to stop. When he does that, you do, no questions asked. If I were to behave like that, I would have died in childhood." I shook my head in discuss.

Backing up, I turned to Sam and bowed my head in an apology. "I apologize if I overstepped my boundaries, Sam, but I have been trained not to tolerate in-team fighting." He nodded his big head to me, and I stepped aside to check on my wound. It was less than half an inch deep, but it was long and bleeding quickly. Pulling out my _stele_, I drew an_ iratze_ on my arm and felt the familiar sting of a wound sewing itself together.

When I turned back around, I found myself facing six shirtless men. The biggest one was still glaring at me, but I returned his look with a cold stare. "This is my pack," Sam said, gesturing to the men. "Paul," he said, pointing the sulking beast that I had been wounded by. "Jared," he said, pointing to a man I'd never met. "Quil and Embry," the two young friends of Jacob waved at me, their grins awkward and bright.

"Jake," I said, recognizing Jacob as the russet wolf. He looked at my sheepishly, his face flushing with embarrassment and shame.

"Hey Bells," he said, looking lost.

"I prefer Isabella," I said without looking back at him. The memories of our last encounter still stung. "It's all my friends called me."

. . .

After my meeting with the pack, I went with them to Sam's house that he shared with a girl named Emily.

Jared gave me a quick heads up before we went inside. "Don't stare at her face. Sam gets pissed and it hurts Emily's feelings when people do."

I wondered briefly at the warning before the door to the charming little house was opened by a slender woman. She was sweet and charming looking, but her face was marred by scars that looked like claw marks. She smiled at me, and I smiled whole-heartedly back. "I'm Emily," she said, holding out her hand for me to shake.

"Isabella," I said, shaking her hand firmly. "I love your house, Emily. It's lovely."

She smiled at me again, and opened the door further to admit all of the boys. A delicious smell wafted out, and the boys all perked up, smelling the air. Sam stepped forward and gave her a kiss, but the look in his eyes was of absolute adoration.

Sensing an opportunity, Quil tried to squeeze past Sam and Emily in the doorway. Sam fixed him with a look, and Quil froze dead in his tracks. "How kind of you to volunteer for dish duty tonight, Quil," Sam said, and Quil hung his head. I laughed, delighted by how the situation struck me as something that had happened with Jace and I when we were younger.

Dinner was still cooking, so I joined Emily in the kitchen. I padded lightly around the kitchen, as nimble as a ballerina as I helped cook. "You're very light on your feet," Emily noted, watching as I balanced on my toes to get a bowl down for Emily.

"Long years of training," I said, stretching a little higher. "You should see my friend Jace, he's so graceful that it's almost insulting."

My joke was lost as Emily gave a little gasp. My shirt had ridden up as I reached, revealing a bit of the scars around my waist. Glancing down at my scarred torso, I grimaced and went back on the flat of my feet, tugging the shirt back down and handing the bowl to Emily.

"If... If you don't mind my asking..." Emily stammered, still looking shocked.

"Demon attack," I said, reaching to turn off the timer and pull the muffins from the oven. "A Ravener demon scratched open my stomach, but I killed it. It bled onto the wound and demon blood is acidic. I was saved by a warlock that's an old friend, and I probably would have died if he hadn't been there." Lifting up my shirt a little, I allowed Emily to see the full extent of the scars. "It wasn't pretty."

Emily's eyes were full of a painful understanding, and the topic dropped from between us. We served the boys food, with Emily and I getting first dibs before the boys devoured it all.

Dinner was a chaotic affair of food and a cacophony of noise. Jacob bickered with Quil and Embry over food, and Paul tried to hoard the muffins. Quil dared to steal an armful back, narrowly avoiding being stabbed with a butter knife.

As promised, Quil was forced to clean up the mess. I went outside for a breath of fresh air. The door opened not long after I exited the house, and Jacob's voice interrupted my thoughts as he asked quietly, "Mind if I join you?" I shook my head, and he leaned against the porch near where I stood. "I'm sorry about what happened before, between us," he said softly. "We weren't allowed to be around others, and I wasn't allowed to see you. We can't risk blowing the secret."

I turned my head slightly towards him, taking in his flushed, melancholic face. "It's all right, Jacob," I said, looking out across the sky. "I know what it's like to have to keep yourself hidden."

There was a silence, before Jacob ventured out, "I know I'm probably getting into trouble by asking, but what was with you showing something to Emily in the kitchen?" Wordlessly I turned to him and dragged up a corner of my shirt, revealing a twisted knot of scars. His face paled, and he choked out, "What happened?"

"I nearly lost a fight to a Ravener demon," I said expressionlessly. "It tore open my torso and when I stabbed it, it bled into me. Demon blood is poisonous and highly acidic," I told him, staring moodily at the trees beyond him. "If Jace hadn't found me when he did, and if he hadn't gotten Magnus Bane when he did, I would have died. I nearly did, too," I said with a bitter laugh. "You'd think, with infinite power and being stronger than all other humans would help with a silly thing like blood loss."

"How much blood did you lose?" he asked, his voice hushed.

"Enough to soak every inch of me in my own blood and cause me to be bed-ridden for a month."

Jacob was silent as he took in this information. "What will happen if a demon attacks me?" he asked. And he sounded so young and so afraid, that at that moment I forgave every hurt we had had between us.

"I'll kill it," I told him, my eyes burning into his.

* * *

Yay! Isabella and Jacob have made up again! Think they'll stay friendly? I hope so! Sorry that the chapter was short, but next chapter will be very exciting!

And now, for your reviews!

**Goddess of Discord and Cookies:** She is, actually. If she were caught, it could be really bad. But Bella is pretty sneaky from years of hanging with Jace.

**Mrs. Carlisle Cullen 2007:** I don't know if she would kill him right off the bat, but she might if he provokes her... And the Clave may or may not find out, depending on how closely they keep a watch on her. They are spread very thin, so they might not have enough resources to watch her every move.

**tamyyiia: **Thanks! I hope you liked this chapter too.

**Magik Sause of Death:** Thanks for the love, dear.

**TheAFanFicWriter:** Well, in this story, I've only got two chapters left, so no. But the next story does contain a love interest for Bella.

**MPDinNYC126:** Bella enjoys her flirtiness, and Izzy did teach her well. I love answering questions, so I try to do my best. This is set sometime during the MI series, but when the MI cast shows up in the sequel, it's set after COB. I hope you liked the wolves reentrance! And a demon/vampire couple... that would be very interesting...

**watermelonFETISHO.O:** Thanks for the rating! I'm actually not a huge fan of Twilight, but I love writing fanfics about it (I'm rather strange like that). I don't know if Bella could time-travel back to meet Jem, but if they did, I think they'd be rather good friends.

**Sol Swan Cullen:** I think Alice might've been pretty upset that the dress got a bit damaged :) You will know about what Alice can or cannot see next chapter, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait. I can't spoil it! D:

**Switzygirl:** I'll be revealing why Bella got banished next chapter. Jace isn't related to Bella at all, but they're very close. Clary will come up later, but Bella never really met her before, so she doesn't miss her all that much, therefore, a lack of thinking/talking about her.

_**Continue to read and review, loves! Two more chapters to go! And then I'll begin working on the sequel! **_

~Meneme-chan


	13. Back in Black

I own nothing, dearies. The cast belongs to Mrs. Meyers and Mrs. Clare.

* * *

Sunlight blazed across my skin, heat across the surface of my body. I stretched out languidly in the sunlight, enjoying the feeling. Jacob was next to me, his tanned torso bared to the sun as he napped lightly in the grass. His big dark eyes were closed and a smile was hovering across his face. I reached out my hand and studied it in the sunlight. There was a soft shimmering quality to my wrist, where James had bitten me. It shone with a healthy glow that almost made me cradle it closer, where I could examine it easier.

Instead, I reached out and gently poked Jacob between his ribs. He twisted away from me, mumbling something sleepily and pulling away. I poked him again, harder, and this time, he let out a little giggle. Grinning to myself, I poked him again and he rolled away, his face scrunching up as he laughed. I went for his ribs again, but he grabbed my hand and held it away from him. "Stop," he said, his voice breaking into laughter.

"Then get up," I told him, smiling a little. "I'm bored."

Jacob groaned. "Fine," he said, heaving himself upright and stretching. His muscular torso rippled, and unable to help myself, I smacked him in the abs. He scowled, but I merely laughed at him.

"Suck it up," I said. "Unless it hurt?"

His scowl deepened, and he flexed his muscles. "I'm a Man of Steel, Isabella. I don't feel pain." He fixed a stern look on his face, no doubt trying to look stoic and strong. He just looked constipated.

"Come on, Man of Steel," I said, adjusting the Seraph Blades strapped to my thighs. "We need to start our rounds." I tightened my boots and checked that all of my weapons were properly fastened.

Grumbling to himself, Jacob went into the bushes to change into his wolf form. He returned to my side by the time I had all my weapons in order, and we took off from there. We ran for an hour, doing our rounds at what seemed to be the speed of light.

Jacob's huge paws thudded against the earth like drums through the quiet undergrowth. My feet, miniscule by comparison, barely brushed the ground as I ran. I had Runes for speed and silence, making me like an hawk as I searched the world for my prey. I floated perfectly in midair, caught between jumping over a fallen tree and landing on the other side when I saw the tracks. I twisted in the air, angling so I could land neatly next to the tracks. They were deep-set in the mud, impressing the shape of their angular feet and wickedly long claws. There were scores in the tree's bark, and I bent closer to inspect it. The wood looked rotted where it had been clawed, with a diseased look to the cuts. A Pishachas demon, perhaps, in one of it's many forms. I whistled to Jacob, who was waiting patiently for me nearby. I pointed to the claw marks on the tree. "These look like claw marks from a demon," I explained to him. "You can tell by the diseased look about it." Jacob sniffed delicately at the wood and reared away, sneezing and looking disgusted. "And, evidently, by how they smell," I noted. He looked at me expectantly, as if to ask what was next. "And now, we hunt," I told him, before taking off through the woods.

I ran low and close to the ground, pausing every now and then to check the tracks or to see how fresh they were. As we ran, the tracks became fresher and less erratic. Suddenly, they veered off west, towards the outskirts of town. I ran faster, hissing to Jacob that the demon was possibly going towards town. I didn't need to embellish upon this fact to motivate him. His four paws began to outrace me, so I threw myself into a rebound off of a rock and landed easily on his back, drawing and naming my seraph blade and keeping an eye on the tracks. I shouted for Jacob to follow the tracks, praying no one would be unfortunate enough to run across the demon. We burst through the clearing, and I saw the demon, slithering towards someone I hadn't expected to see.

Jasper.

His face was confused but serious as he stared at the demon, his eyes never leaving it's figure. It was grotesque and bloated, with slimy skin and bulging eyes. It's legs crawled and clattered on the ground, churning up the earth with sharp claws. It had rows and rows of teeth, bared into a howl as it stalked Jasper.

"Pishachas demon!" I roared at it, waving my blade at it. "Stand down!" It turned to face me, it's form blurring as it rumbled towards me. I slashed at it with my blade, cutting a score in it's side. It screeched and wheeled back, trying to heal itself. I launched myself at the demon, slashing at it's bared throat. I got in three broad strokes with my sword before it twisted away from me, tearing the blade out of my hands. I hissed as some of the blood coated my hands, burning at my skin. I quickly wiped off my hands, cursing under my breath. Jacob came bounding in, his teeth biting the back of my shirt as he tore me away from the demon, moments before it plunged a stinger into the ground.

"Thanks Jake," I panted, reaching for another sword.

Jasper, having caught sight of me, stared blankly at me. "Bella?" he asked softly, looking stunned.

"Get out of the way, Jasper," I hissed at him. "Get towards the trees so it doesn't eat you!" The demon turned to look at Jasper, but I plucked a throwing knife from my sheath and threw it at the demon's face. It pierced it's eye, and the demon let out a volley of howls that made my ears ring. "Get him out of the way, Jacob!" I yelled, before charging at the demon. I unwound an electrum whip from my wrist and untucked a Seraph blade. I ran at a parallel to the demon before flicking my whip. It wrapped around the demon's neck, causing it to shriek and contort itself. Riding the momentum from the whip, I swung up into the air. "_Cassiel!_" I yelled, before flipping towards and driving the blade into the demon's head. It shuddered beneath me, it's body starting to dissolve into the ground. Acidic blood spurted from the wound, burning at my boots. I gritted my teeth and twisted the blade farther into the demon's skull. With a last, dismal cry, it collapsed to the ground and began to fade. Leaping free of the body, I watched it fold up on itself and return to it's dimension.

Threat gone, I limped over to a spot in the grass where my first Seraph blade had been flung. Retrieving it and my electrum whip, I sat down hard in a clean patch of grass and began removing my boots, which were melting from the demon's blood. "These were a good pair," I griped to Jacob. "They survived a few good hunts before, but what happens when it's a good fight? I get demon blood all over them and they melt."

I looked up to find Jacob, recently returned to his human form, grinning at me. "Most girls have too many shoes, Isabella, but you're always melting yours."

I shrugged. "What can I say? Good shoes are hard to find. Izzy's the only girl I know who has boots that could probably withstand a nuclear war."

Jasper, who had been watching us with wide eyes, nervously came closer. "Bella?" he repeated softly, his golden eyes wide with surprise. "Is that you?"

"I prefer Isabella, actually," I said with a grunt as I ripped off my other boot. "But yeah, it's me."

"What were you doing?" Jasper asked, looking at me as if he expected me to sprout another head and start speaking fluent French.

"Killing a demon and saving your skin, I believe." I grabbed my seraph blade and began scrubbing at it with a fistful of grass. "What did it look like?"

Jacob grinned. "It looked like you were doing a mix of gymnastics and an impersonation of Orlando Bloom."

"I was not imitating a flower," I told him irritably. "Let's see you kill the next demon, you little fuzzball."

"Bella, what are you talking about?" Jasper exclaimed, looking wild-eyed.

"Flowers?" I ventured, looking up at Jasper with a bit of confusion. I realized that he was still standing in the shadows, staying out of the sun's direct rays.

"You just killed a... a thing! With knives! And you were riding a giant dog, and... and... Oh my God." Jasper sat down heavily, and I got up and approached him.

Taking his hand, I looked him in the eyes. "Calm down, Jasper," I said, keeping my voice soft as I sat down, legs folded. "That was a Pishachas demon. They like to eat everything. I killed it so it wouldn't eat you." Jasper nodded dumbly, staring at me with wide eyes. His phone rang in his pocket, and I gently squeezed his hands. "Answer it," I prompted him. "It's probably Alice."

At the mention of his wife's name, Jasper answered the phone dully. "Hello?" A pause, and he said simply, "Bella's back." There was another pause, before he mumbled some sort of agreement and hung up. "Carlisle wants to speak with you," he said, looking at me blankly.

I stood up and put away all of my now-clean weapons. "Go home without me, Jacob," I told him. "Tell everyone that I met up with the Cullens and I have an audience with them, and make sure Charlie gets the news. I'll call if I need anything."

He nodded, looking a little reluctant, but he obeyed. He ran off through the forest, his long, lean body disappearing rather quickly.

I followed Jasper to the house from there, running lightly beside him, despite my bare feet. He jumped the small creek to their property and stared in disbelief as I did the same. As we approached the house from the shade of the trees, Jasper's skin broke into a brilliant display of sparkles at the same time the entire Cullen clan burst from their house. I watched as Alice caught Jasper in a flying hug, her voice rapid as she told him how worried she was. I traced the lines of a Rune as I watched Carlisle pat Jasper on the shoulder before he approached me slowly. His golden eyes darkened slightly, before he stared at me and said it all in one flat word: "Nephilim."

I bowed my head slightly, spreading my arms wide to display my Marks. "How may I be of further service to you?" I asked, biting down the mocking tones in my voice.

"She killed a thing," Jasper blurted from Alice's arms, his eyes still wide. "I've never seen anything like it. It was a-"

"Demon," Carlisle finished.

"A Pishachas demon, I believe," I told him coolly. "It was a nice and short fight."

"She jumped up and stabbed it," Jasper blurted again, still staring at me.

Reaching out, I gently gripped his shoulder. "Calm your mind," I told him softly. "There is no danger now. The demon is gone; do not let your fear control you any longer." For a moment, his body tensed, and then it relaxed completely into Alice's arms. I patted his shoulder lightly. "Better," I told him softly.

Turning back to Carlisle, I gave him a smile that I had learned from Jace, a wickedly sharp smile that seemed ironic and cold at the same time. "It was mentioned before that you would like to speak with me?" I asked, my voice cold and unemotional.

Carlisle nodded before gesturing for me to go inside. "After you," he said politely, and I went in the house, ignoring Edward as I passed. I paused only to brush the dirt off the bottom of my bare feet before stepping indoors. "May I ask why you're barefoot?" Carlisle asked from behind me.

"Demon blood melted my boots," I told him simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Carlisle, would you mind if I explained myself to your entire family at one time? It might make the process a little easier." He nodded, and went to call everyone inside.

They gathered inside their house and sat down on the couches (the covers were taken off) and faced me in a small bunch, staring at me with their golden eyes.

"I'll tell you as much as I safely can," I told them, looking at each of them slowly. "I was born to a Shadowhunter, Renee Verlac, and to mundane Charlie Swan. In the laws of the Clave, it is illegal to marry a mundane. They can either be turned into a Shadowhunter, or you must leave the Clave entirely. You can never speak to your family again." I looked at my hands. "My mother did neither. She hid me from the Clave and hoped that somehow, I wouldn't be like her. Unfortunately, that's impossible. Upon realizing this, she split from Charlie and ran off to marry a man she used to know, another Nephilim named Philip Wayland. He agreed to pretend to be my real father, and he took us in. I was raised knowing only the ways of the Nephilim and trained to be one. I traveled the world, knowing only the ways of the Nephilim, and I was happy." I smiled a little to myself as I thought of my childhood. "I even had friends in New York, another Shadowhunter family, that I would play with."

"What happened?" Alice asked, interrupting me.

My face darkened. "It eventually became noticeable that I wasn't Phil's daughter. Taken under questioning, my mother was forced to confess who my real father was, the man who she had successfully hidden from the Clave. Infuriated at her trickery, she was punished by being forced to watch her daughter be banished and sent to live with her real father." I shook my head, disgusted. "The Clave does not take well to people lying to them, and they were deeply insulted by my mother. I'm lucky to still have my Marks. Last I heard, they were debating about banishing her as well."

Carlisle looked at me with faint confusion in his eyes. "If you were banished, then why were you hunting demons this afternoon?"

I grinned, embarrassed. "Well, that's a bit harder to explain." I took a breath, looking up and trying to sort out the words in my head. "Have you ever loved something so much that you could never leave it, no matter what? Something that you dream about it, think about it and wake up thirsting for it?"

The Cullens all looked down, their golden eyes bright as they reflected on this. "Yes," Carlisle said with a look towards Esme.

"That's what Shadowhunting is like for me," I said softly. "I can't take myself away from it; it's a part of me. Literally: it's in my blood. And to say that I am banished is like telling me that I cannot breathe; it's impossible for me to stay away. The Angel knows I tried, but it eventually became too much."

There was a small silence as everyone watched me with their golden eyes.

"Aren't you in danger when you hunt demons?" Esme ventured, her hands folding nervously in her lap.

I shrugged my shoulders slightly and gave her a careless smile. "It's an occupational hazard," I told her. "Just like it's a hazard for Carlisle to be a doctor."

"But you could be killed," Esme objected. The Cullens' heads swiveled between Esme and I, sensing a banter coming on.

"I haven't been killed yet," I said, frowning slightly and toying with the edge of my shirt.

"Bella, sweetheart, you're young, so you might not understand what it really means to be in danger of losing your life," Esme said, her voice syrupy. "But you must have some idea of how terrible it would be to die."

Temper flaring up, I tugged up my shirt to reveal my scarred midriff. "I think I have some idea," I said coldly. "And know that for a Shadowhunter, it is less of a tragedy to die. Our bodies are burned, and the lucky ones have their ashes placed in Idris. The other's ashes are added to the Silent Brother's libraries, where our remains create a protective barrier around the Bone City." I raised my chin defiantly. "That is death to us. A continuation of the battle that we so love."

Esme's gaze was still fixated on my stomach, only half-listening to my speech. "What happened?" Esme asked, her hand rising to her mouth in a humane gesture.

I sighed, somewhat impatient and let the shirt drop back down over my stomach. "Ravener demon," I told her. "My friend Jace found me in time and got me to a warlock, who managed to heal me." They continued to stare, and I cleared my throat and asked broadly, "Any other questions?"

Emmett's hand shot up. "Why is there a motorcycle in our garage?" he blurted out, as if he couldn't wait to ask.

I grinned sheepishly. "That would be mine. I needed a place to hide my motorcycle, and I figured that since you weren't using your garage, I could stash it here for a while."

"Where'd you get it?" Rosalie asked, her gaze flicking to where the garage was. "It looks like it was built by hand."

"It was," I admitted. "Jacob Black helped me build it."

"Who?" Carlisle asked, looking interested.

"I guess you could say he's my _parabatai_," I said thoughtfully. "At least, as long as I'm here. He lives down at the Rez; he's a werewolf."

"Werewolf?" Edward burst out. I turned my head to stare curiously at him. Were he human, I think he would have been flushed.

"Technically, he's some hybrid down-worlder who can shape-shift into the form of a werewolf," I corrected myself. "But essentially, yes."

"Isn't he dangerous?" Edward asked. His body was rigid as he stared wildly at me, his golden eyes darkening to a dull tan.

I shrugged. "Compared to me? No." Edward looked doubtful, and I laughed. "I could kill you in my sleep, hun," I said with a mischievous smile. "I'll survive on my own, thank you."

"How can Charlie allow you to?" Edward demanded.

I scowled at Edward, crossing my arms and saying, "Charlie understands that I do what I have to do. He understands that I was born to be a Shadowhunter, and that I can either die happy as a Nephilim in battle, or I can die as a miserable exile."

"I can't let you-" Edward began.

I cut him off viciously. "I don't need permission from anyone to do what I love," I said hotly. "And if it has escaped your notice; you don't control me. I'm not some pet. So your permissions can go burn in hellfire."

There was a silence as Edward and I locked eyes; mine burning with a passionate rage and his paling with an unspeakable embarrassment and sorrow.

Attempting to divert the conversation, Alice said, "Speaking of things you love, Bella, I saw you playing the piano. How long have you played?"

"I started when I was four," I told her, still staring down Edward.

"Will you play a song for us?" Alice asked, looking hopeful.

Wordlessly, I exited the room and went into the room containing their piano. After removing the coverings, I sat at the bench and stared thoughtfully at the keys. No Nephilim songs came to mind, only the melancholic song I had composed when I was first banished.

My fingers rested on the keys, perched themselves and began to drift across the keys. A slow, sad melody began to flow, curling itself around me in soft sighs and light drips of tears. Small, miniature melodies wove themselves through the piece, little memories of a bittersweet past that I missed. My heart swelled as I imagined Jace beside me, his powerful musician's hands pressing the keys with authority and confidence. I began to play a little stronger, my fingers drawing strength from one of the sources of my comfort. The song rose up; overflowing with an aching longing that throbbed through my ears and grew painfully in my chest. Then, without warning, I dropped the notes to a soft, delicate patter of keys, the thoughtful turning of my mind. I traced the last notes a little stronger, like the plating of steel over a weak piece of armor.

My hands rested on the keys after the last notes had died. I had written this piece when I was first banished, the original melody forming in my head as I was flown to Washington. But over the months the melody had grown with me, building until it was whole.

"That was... beautiful," Esme said, looking at me with bright gold eyes.

I removed my hands from the keys and stood up, looking at the Cullens with a sad half-smile about my face. They had been my family when I was hurting from the banishment, and that had helped me stay sane. And now that I was growing again, back into the old life I had cherished, they were a sweet memory against the dank background of my unhappiness.

"Yes," I said softly. "It _was_ beautiful."

* * *

One more chapter to go! Oh goodness me, oh me oh my!

I hope this chapter wasn't too short or too corny, or something awful like that. I wanted to express that although Bella was fond of the Cullens, she no longer needs them as a crutch for her pain any longer.

The demon, Pishachas, is a Hindu demon that can change it's shape and it eats _everything_. I wanted something cool for Isabella to face. :3

And now, to respond to your reviews!

**Goddess of Discord and Cookies:** And now, only one chapter! Most of your questions should have been answered in this chapter, and I hope they were satisfactory!

**TwiCloiser89:** No, not too much Edward/Bella. Jace/Bella would indeed be fun...

**Switzygirl:** Isabella tends to be a bit tough and since she was trained very young to be an obedient fighter, she refuses to take guff from anyone who is disobeying their superior.

**Olivia The Bookworm: **I'm glad you like the story! I love your username, it's just awesome!

**Mrs. Carlisle Cullen 2007: **They didn't quite screw up everything... ;) Jace will show up next chapter, so hold tight!

**Sol Swan Cullen:** I was glad that Jacob and Isabella made up, because it's always nice to see them as friendsies. I hoped you liked this chapter! And no doubt Jace would wonder at Isabella's odd crowd. Most likely he'd mock her a little, or even question her sanity. But mostly mock her.

**tamyyiia: **I'm betting that Edward got quite a shock!

**Rachel-wa: **Yes, the sequel will deal closely with the Mortal Instruments characters. Jace will have a big role in helping Isabella out.

**Magik Sause of Death: **I always love the reviews from you :)

**XxKyuubiRoxX:** Thank you! I'm glad you like it so much! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations.

**MPDinNYC126:** I'm sure Jake liked the attention. :) Maryse and Renee probably both liked the name, and they probably didn't know that they named their daughters probably the same thing until afterwards... ;) I don't think I'll touch much on Rapheal in the sequel, but Jace, Izzy, Alec, Clary and Simon will be a big part.

**Please keep reading and reviewing! It makes my heart happy! ~Meneme-chan**


	14. The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

I own nothing.

* * *

Three days after the Cullen's returned to Forks, I was packing my bags. My mother, after months of hard work, had finally been granted an audience with the Clave. One that I was allowed to attend, in order to legally become a Shadowhunter once more. My stomach was repeatedly twisting itself up into knots and causing my head to ache. To keep my mind busy, I ran through my defense over and over until it was flawless. And when I began to worry further over that, I finally allowed myself to visit the Cullen's again.

I had visited Jacob every day before I left, for two hours at a time. He was sad about my return to Idris, but my promises of visiting kept his head up. Alice, before I left their house the first evening of their arrival, begged me to return before I left again for Idris. Remembering that I had promised her that I would, I ran over to her house. She was waiting for me when I arrived and I had expected that. I smiled at her as I approached, calling out a soft greeting.

When I pulled even with her, she drew me into a gentle hug and whispered softly into my shoulder, "I have missed you, Isabella. I miss you now, and I think I will probably always miss you."

I hugged her a little more tightly. "Don't," I told her softly. "It is fine to miss someone you will never see again, but tears are wasted on those you will be reunited with again."

I felt her smile form against my shoulder, and I ran my fingertips lightly through her short black hair. Her light, silvery laugh trickled through my ears, and she pulled away with a smile. "Come on," she said softly. "I've got a gift for you upstairs."

I followed her inside, waving slightly to the family I passed by as we walked. We reached her room, where she ushered me inside and shut the door. Prancing daintily past me, she opened her closet (which was only half-way full) and pulled out a hanging bag. Laying it on her bed, she unzipped the bag and revealed a beautiful black dress. The material was some sort of black cotton that hung down in wide folds. It had a deep v-neck and sleeves that were sliced open and only whole enough to wrap around just above my elbow. Beneath it was a rich blue cloak that tied neatly around the neck and could rest easily about my shoulders.

"I wanted to get you a nice outfit, one you could easily meet the Clave in," Alice said shyly, gesturing to the dress. "I did some digging, and found out about most of the styles in Idris."

I reached out to gently run my fingertips across the material of the dress. It looked soft and warm, despite the sketchier bits of the top. Tears rose in my throat as I realized how much Alice cared. "Thank you," I managed to choke out, twisting a bit of the fabric around my fingertips.

I spent over an hour in Alice's room. She combed my hair and curled it into a beautiful bun. She showed me how to do it myself, because she thought that it would look lovely with my new dress. The tears in my throat must have migrated to my cheeks, because I found a dewy wetness upon them. Alice hugged me hard, whispering fiercely that I had to visit again. I promised with a choked sob breaking the words into little pieces.

Eventually, Alice went downstairs to nag someone to give me a ride home, since she didn't want me ruining the new dress by running with it. To our mutual surprise, Edward firmly insisted on giving me a ride. I silently placed my bags in the back of his Volvo, and he drove me home in silence. I took in the feelings as he drove; the faint tang of regret mixed in with the sorrow of leaving and the joy of homecoming.

When he stopped outside my house, Edward stared at me with his sad, dull-gold eyes. "I've missed you, Bella." I nodded, unsure of how to respond. "I hope to see you again someday."

"I'll return," I promised him quietly. "I just can't promise when."

"I'll be waiting," he said, his eyes gathering a gleam in them that made me want to turn my eyes away; it was an intense and private longing that I no longer wished to understand.

Gathering my things, I bade him a solemn farewell and went back into my house. I could feel his eyes boring holes in my back, but I did not look back.

. . .

My last evening was spent with Charlie, where we cooked pasta together with his homemade marinara and we watched a game on television. I couldn't tell you what we watched, but I know that I will always remember sitting with him, eating the pasta and talking softly of things that did not matter, but they mattered at that moment to us.

. . .

Early in the morning, a portal was summoned for me. I waited in the designated area, dressed in the outfit Alice had given me, until the glow was ready. Charlie was behind me, his mustache bristling with unsaid words and advice, full of emotions that were only half-way expressed in his mind.

"I'll be back soon, Daddy," I told him, just before I entered.

"Be safe," was all he could say, his voice gruff.

With that, I stepped forward into the Portal. The light engulfed me, sucking me towards Idris, faster than any mundane could ever comprehend. I stumbled slightly when I reached the other side, but I quickly regained my step and composure and glided gracefully away from the portal.

Two men were waiting for me. One was a Shadowhunter man I knew only by sight, a man of the Clave, and the other was Magnus Bane. His hair was blue and sparkly, splayed upward in an impressive display of spikes. He was wearing all black leather, something that impressed even me. I curtseyed to the men and greeted them softly.

"Welcome to Idris, Isabella Swan," the Shadowhunter told me. "I will accompany you to the Penhallow home, where you will be staying until your audience with the Clave." His voice was clipped and formal. I curtseyed again and thanked him.

Silently following behind us, Magnus drifted like a gleaming shadow to my right. We walked quickly down the streets; me toting my bag with ease, despite the heeled boots that Alice had insisted on me wearing. When we reached the Penhallow home, Magnus coolly excused the man and promised to keep an eye on me. The man nodded curtly and vanished into the streets.

I followed Magnus inside, and no sooner had I walked through the front door than I was accosted by a whirlwind of gold. Grappling me into a hug, I was nearly knocked off my feet by Jace. I staggered back a step, before hugging him back as tightly as I could. When he pulled away, his smile was beatific.

"I've missed you so much, Isabella!" he said, his smile stretching from ear to ear. "I've got so much to tell you. You always skip out during the exciting parts, you know that?"

"I want to leave more for you," I told him, following him into a small sitting area. "But I had some charming adventures of my own."

"Did you meet a vampire?" Jace asked, grinning.

"I did," I said, slightly surprised. "I actually dated one."

It was Jace's turn to look surprised. His golden eyes widened as he stared at me. "Does that top my girlfriend's best friend being turned into one?"

"Not if I combine dating a vampire with being best friends with a shape-shifter werewolf," I said absently.

"My girlfriend's mother is dating a werewolf," Jace supplied, lounging on the couch with a catlike grace that I always wondered if it drove werewolves nuts.

"Is your girlfriend a magnet for Downworlders?" I asked him, flopping into an armchair.

He grinned at me. "Just as much as you are."

"Dear God," I said, feigning a look of horror. "You replaced me. I knew that you couldn't handle me leaving without going mad."

Jace opened his mouth to retaliate, but a high-pitched squeal interrupted him. Izzy came bounding into the room, wearing a short silvery dress that was shorter than her long hair. I scrambled up to embrace her, and laughed as she hopped up and down. "Oh Isabella! I've missed you so much! Where have you been? Did you bring me a present?"

"I thought my return would be a present enough," I said giving her a wry smile.

There was footsteps, two sets that I was unfamiliar with. One belonged to a slender young man with pale skin and a faint scar along his throat. I recognized him as a vampire the moment he drifted soundlessly over to where Izzy stood. The other set belonged to a petite fiery haired girl. She had bright emerald eyes that watched me closely, taking in the shapes and lines of my form and assessing my watching her.

"Isabella Swan," I told her, holding out my hand for her to shake.

"Clary Fray," she said, shaking my hand. Her hand was slender and strong; the hands of an artist.

"Bellabye, this is my girlfriend, Clary," Jace said, getting up smoothly to place a chaste kiss on her forehead.

I smirked a little at him. "I couldn't tell," I lied. "I thought that she was your aunt Imogen from France."

"You have an aunt Imogen from France?" Clary asked, looking surprised.

"No," Jace and I said at the same time. "But he does have an adopted brother who is lurking about somewhere. Where is Alec?" I asked.

"Probably necking with Magnus," Izzy said flippantly.

I raised my eyebrow. "Since when has Alec necked with anyone?" I asked, feeling a little thrown off. I had always known that Alec was gay, but I never thought he'd come out about it, seeing as Shadowhunters tended to frown upon it.

"Since Magnus," Izzy said, as if that settled the matter.

"That was enlightening," the dark haired vampire said, giving Izzy an amused look.

"My sentiments exactly," I agreed, before holding out my hand. "Isabella Swan. And you are?"

"Simon Lewis, Clary's friend and vampire," he said, shaking my hand and watching for a reaction.

I studied his large brown eyes and elegant lashes. "Surprisingly, you're much better looking than the last vampire I met," I told him, thinking of Edward's harsh, almost cubist beauty. Simon was soft, blurred shades that relaxed my eyes.

"Did you kill him?" Simon asked bluntly.

"No, I dated him," I said, giving him a wicked smile. "He wasn't a bad kisser, at least, until my lips nearly froze from the kiss."

That made Jace laugh, and with that, we settled into a loud, chaotic chatter. We talked about the news, and Jace filled me in what I had missed. In turn, I told them about my adventures (which paled in comparison to theirs). An hour passed, and a messenger arrived to summon me to the Clave. I checked my hair in the mirror, adjusted my dress (Jace said that if it was any more low cut, I wouldn't have to worry about any of the men in the Clave voting against me) and was off. Once again, Magnus accompanied me. This time, Alec came with us as we walked to the Accord Halls. I had nearly forgotten that he was eighteen.

When I arrived, my mother was waiting for me outside. She pulled me into an embrace, looked me over and smoothed down a flyaway hair. "Ready?" she asked, squeezing my hand.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded and pushed open the heavy doors that lead into the Hall.

The Clave was in session, seated and waiting for me. Their faces turned towards me as I entered, taking in every detail of my attire.

The new Inquisitor of the Clave, a man I did not recognize, stood up and bowed his head slightly. "Isabella Swan, you have come before the Clave with a plea. What is your request?"

Curtseying low, I looked him in the eyes and said clearly and loudly, "My request, Inquisitor, is that the Clave reconsider their decision to banish me."

He looked thoughtful. "Why do you wish for the Clave to reconsider? Have you solid reasonings?"

"I do," I said, dipping my head respectfully. "I was banished on the account that I was withholding my identity from the Clave. However, my mother had been married to a mundane, but when she gave birth to me, she remarried another Nephilim and he took me in as his own. I was unaware of this; therefore I had no way of knowingly hiding this information from the Clave."

The Inquisitor raised an eyebrow. "Are you accusing your mother?" he asked, and a fissure of dissent ran through the Clave.

"No, sir. What my mother did was her own choice, not mine. But I am defending myself against the fact that by normal Clave standings, I have done no wrong. I have not broken any Clave laws. Were I to have been known as a mundane's child, I would have still been allowed to be a Shadowhunter, would I have not?"

"If you accepted the offer to become one, you would be, yes," the Inquisitor admitted.

"Then the only fault I am at is for whom I was born to," I said, looking across the Clave.

The Inquisitor inclined his head. "So it would seem." He turned his attention to my mother. "Anything you would like to add, Renée Verlac?"

She bobbed her head a little. "Whatever choices I made in my past, foolish or otherwise, should not be held against my daughter. I admit I made a grave mistake in not being open with the Clave on who her father was, but to punish her seems to me to go too far."

The Inquisitor folded his hands. "Thank you," he said brusquely. "We shall discuss and call you back in when we have reached a conclusion."

We both curtseyed and left the hall where, to my utter surprise, we found Phil waiting for us. I gave a little cry of joy as I raced forward and dove into his arms. He swept me up in a hug, murmuring into my hair that he'd missed me. With my face pressed into my step-father's shoulder, and my mother's arms encircling us both, I felt almost whole.

There was a scuffling noise, then the skitter of bare skin on marble, and Jace landed lightly on his feet next to us, having fallen from his previous perch on the marble pillar. "Didn't mean to drop in like that," he said, smiling easily at us. "But I couldn't resist such a happy reunion."

I chuckled and reached out an arm to lightly push Jace on the shoulder. He grinned at me, gold and light, and a warmth grew in me again.

Not long after, the doors to the Accord Halls opened and a man appeared to summon us inside (Jace was sternly told to wait outside). We walked to where the Inquisitor sat, and waited as he rose to address us.

"The Clave has decided that it's previous decision was unlawful and unjust, and we have agreed to lift the ban that was previously placed upon you, Isabella Swan. You are re-admitted into the Clave as a Shadowhunter, and you will be placed under the care of your mother. After some consideration, we have also agreed to allow you to revisit your mundane father, as long as they are discreet. The Clave is adjourned, and we welcome you back to Idris, young Nephilim."

My mother dragged me into a hug, and I beamed at the Inquisitor, tears nearly rising into my eyes as I half-whispered my thanks. Curtseying, I left the room as gracefully as I could.

The moment the doors opened, I flung myself around Jace's shoulders and laughed as I told him the news. He gave a small cry of delight as he lifted me up and swung me around, his curls falling across his face and melding with the gold coins that were his eyes. The sunlit glow that hit the Wards of the Glass City reflected in thousands of fragments of light that momentarily illuminated the world in a flash of light. Jace's laughter was infectious, and as my face split into an even wider grin, he leaned close and murmured into my ear: "Welcome home."

* * *

Oh! We are finished my dears! But this is not the end of our Isabella, no, because there will be a sequel! A wonderful sequel with Jace and Edward in the same scenes! This I promise you!

I'd like to thank all the readers who stuck with it through to the end. Thank you for reading my story, and I'm glad for those of you who enjoyed it. Thank you to those who reviewed; you made my day with your comments! I'm such a lucky writer to have fans like you.

And now, to respond to your reviews for the final time.

**TwiCloiser89:** You'll have to read the sequel to see if there's any Jace/Bella. And I can confess to agreeing with you on that. I'm not a huge fan of Edward either. :)

**Switzygirl:** And now Jace is back, and he will star in the sequel as well. Hopefully you'll enjoy him in that!

**Goddess of Discord and Cookies: **I am making a sequel, and I'm so glad you tuned in to find out with this chapter :)

**smileyface209:** I hope you liked his appearance on this chapter, however brief the chapter was.

**Mrs. Carlisle Cullen 2007:** Haha, I'm not sure Isabella would actually punch him unless she really felt like he absolutely deserved it. Despite her being close to Jace, she does not have his tendency to pick random fights. Nonetheless, I think she would probably give Edward a good slap if the chance presented itself :) I hope to see your comments again, on the sequel!

**watermelonFETISHO.O: **Yeah, the Orlando Bloom reference would have totally thrown off Isabella, since she's never really watched that many movies. Isabella tends to keep a good hold of common sense, so she wouldn't be keen on dating Edward again.

**tamyyiia:** Well, it would be shocking to see Isabella slashing at a demon in front of you... Nothing could have prepared Jasper for that :)

**Sol Swan Cullen: **Edward will find that Isabella is definitely not the forgive and forget type. :) And yes, Jasper was most definitely not expecting to find Isabella killing a demon. A nice, tasty deer, maybe, but not an angry Isabella. Jace has appeared (and climbed a pillar, probably to spy on the Clave meeting). He will meet Edward face to face, and I will do all that I can to channel Jace into that scene and make it hilariously awkward. I always looked forward to your reviews, and I hope to see them again when I write a sequel!

**TheAFanFicWriter: **There will be a sequel, yes. Soon, I hope, unless work kills me.

**Magik Sause of Death: **You are welcome :) There will be a sequel, but I have yet to name it. Names are so difficult...

**Rachel-wa: **Thank you!

Thank you all for the reviews! Feel free to review, and I will message you back with an answer. If you have any questions about this piece or even the sequel, feel free to ask.

I will also have Bella's dress and her hairstyle up on my profile, for those curious about what it looks like.

_**~Meneme-chan**_


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